The first question is easy to answer – it is YOU! Thamesbank Credit Union (TBCU) is what is known as a ‘Mutual’ organisation and this means that it does not have shareholders like large companies such as Nat West or Astra Zeneca, rather every person who deposits money with us also becomes what is known as a ‘Member’ of the Credit Union and it is the members that own Thamesbank. This is why your deposits are called ‘Member Shares’ and this is why every one of you can vote at our Annual General Meeting.
Like most large businesses the strategy and direction of TBCU is determined by its Board of Directors and the Board of Directors are appointed by you, our members. Every year a certain number of Directors come up for election or re-election and this gives you the opportunity to vote. Members are also entitled to put themselves up for election to the Board, indeed the Directors would encourage this. There is currently a vacancy on the Board for a ‘Member Director’ so if any of you are interested in becoming a Director please contact our Secretary Edward. (edward.dewaal@thamesbank.org).
Currently, the Board of TBCU is headed up by our Chair, Mukesh Malhotra, and many of you will be aware of him as a result of his regular ‘Mondays with Mukesh’ sessions on Facebook. The Vice-Chair is Paul Oppe who, like Mukesh, is a long-serving member of the Board. Our Company Secretary, responsible for all of the regulatory aspects of TBCU, is Edward de Waal who joined just over a year ago. Mukesh, Paul and Edward are joined by myself as Treasurer and Money Laundering Reporting Officer, Stefano del Zompo who joined in 2020 and sits, with me, on the Finance Committee and our newest Director is Jan Doskar who has many contacts with local community groups and who has a wealth of marketing experience. Between us, we have a broad range of experience and a number of different skills which we hope come in handy when it comes to running the business. The Board always welcomes comments and feedback from our members so please feel free to contact us at any time at directors@thamesbank.org.
It was a privilege last year to have won the ‘Best Business Support & Advice Service Company’ which was given to us by the London Borough of Hounslow Business Awards scheme.
From a legal perspective, TBCU is a regulated financial institution and we are regulated by both the Prudential Regulatory Authority and the Financial Services Authority. We are also a member of ABCUL (Association of British Credit Unions Limited) who are the umbrella body that represents all credit unions in negotiations with both the regulators and the Government.
Whilst the Board is responsible for the performance and strategic direction of TBCU the day-to-day management of the business is carried out on the Board’s behalf by Credit Union Solutions (CUS), and it is these people who you will deal with when you make a deposit or withdrawal or apply for a loan. CUS is headed up by its Chief Executive, Graham Tomlin, who has many, many years of experience in the credit union sector. He is ably assisted by several colleagues – all of whom are happy to assist you if you have any questions about your deposits or they are happy to talk with you if you are considering taking out a loan. They can be contacted at admin@thamesbank.org.
I hope that gives you all a better idea of how TBCU is organised as I said earlier if any of you have any questions or comments on us, please do not hesitate to contact either the Directors or CUS.
Nic Dowler
Treasurer, Thamesbank Credit Union