It was a case of in at the deep end when Stephen Leonard joined Nationwide at the beginning of 2014. Having just arrived he launched into an ad pitch in February, followed by the announcement that the business was to spend £10m on brand building, increasing its usual marketing spend by 20%. This led to the launch of a national ad campaign in May in which the building society thanked its 15,000 staff for contributing to its 113% pre-tax profit increase. “Brands are increasingly recognising that a great customer experience creates a virtuous circle. We’ve delivered great business results, become a Sunday Times top 10 major employer to work for, and been recognised by consumers as the most human and loved major brand in financial services,” he says.