Al Rayan Bank welcomes new Head of HR to Birmingham HQ
The appointment of a new Head of Human Resources has been announced by Al Rayan Bank, the UK’s oldest and largest Islamic bank.
Sophie Gulliver, who joined the Bank in 2018 as HR Business Partner and was appointed as interim Head of HR earlier this year, has been appointed as Head of HR on a permanent basis to help lead the company through the next phase of its development.
Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sophie will play a pivotal role in pushing the Bank’s people agenda and supporting the delivery of its long-term strategy.
Sophie brings a strong financial services background to Al Rayan Bank; prior to her role with the Bank, she worked at Birmingham based Personal Touch Financial Services, a mortgage and related insurance distributor, where she progressed her career from HR Officer through to Head of HR over an eight year period.
Commenting on her appointment, Sophie said: "I'm very proud to have been appointed as Head of HR at such an exciting time in the Bank’s story, and I’m looking forward to working closely with colleagues to ensure that we have the very best people strategy to support the continued growth of Al Rayan Bank.
"Increasingly Islamic banking is seen as an important part of the mainstream banking sector, rather than a niche specialism that runs in parallel to it; this means that Al Rayan Bank is able to retain and attract talent looking to work in a progressive, ethical and dynamic environment."
Al Rayan Bank is a values driven organisation; last year it was awarded 'silver' accreditation by assessors and accreditors, Investors In People, with many of those working for Al Rayan Bank saying that they were proud to work for a financial institution with an ethical conscious and that this was a key influence in them joining the Bank. The Bank is also a ‘Living Wage’ employer, voluntarily paying all employees more than the statutory National Minimum Wage.
A recent independent study found that Al Rayan Bank supports 636 jobs nationwide and delivers an annual economic impact of £389 million for the UK national economy. The Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority and is a member of the FSCS.