Pinnell out in NatWest rejig

NatWest marketing director Raoul Pinnell has lost his job after a wide-ranging restructure of the senior management at the bank.

Tony Warren has been promoted to senior managing director and will develop opportunities across NatWest’s retail banking, life and investments, mortgage and general insurance business.

Three executives will take over Pinnell’s marketing responsibilities. One, a head of marketing services, which includes overseeing brand strategy and market research, has yet to be appointed. Chris Bottomley, director of human resources and communications, will take over internal and external PR. Tim Jones, who will fill Warren’s old post, will also take on some marketing responsibilities.

Warren was previously managing director retail banking services, with responsibility for the NatWest UK branch network.

Pinnell says that he will work on “special projects” for the bank.

NatWest’s director of cor-

porate affairs, Simon Lewis,

claims that Pinnell will then leave.

The changes are understood to be a consequence of the planned departure of NatWest deputy chief executive Stuart Chandler.

Pinnell joined NatWest in July 1994 from the Prudential, where he was marketing director, to take a seat on the branch banking board. He was the first person to take marketing responsibility for the entire retail banking operation.

He oversaw its relaunch of branches, changing the company’s name National Westminster Bank to NatWest. He halved the roster of advertising agencies and halved above-the-line spend to refocus on below-the-line advertising.

Pinnell has also pioneered third-party alliances through co-branding deals and was closely involved in the Tesco Clubcard Plus scheme, revealed exclusively by Marketing Week (April 19).