About Us
The building society difference
The Cambridge is an independent, mutual society which has been integral to the community since 1850. We provide funding for people buying their own homes and are a trusted home for people in a position to save.
The Cambridge is built on the core values of:
Courage
We’re bold enough to do things differently and brave enough to break new ground. Together we’ll learn from every experience, embrace every opportunity, and we’ll face every challenge with confidence and pride.
Integrity
With honest advice and sincere intentions, we promise fairness and balance in everything we do. We'll stay true to our word and loyal to our members, keeping their best interests at the heart of our approach.
Community
We’ll stand proudly together as a member-owned mutual, supporting the community that builds our Society. With local hearts and life-changing ideas, we’ll make a difference today and for the generations that follow.
Expertise
We’ll make our expertise count for every customer, with clear advice and a simple approach. The knowledge of our teams can mean everything to our members, so we’ll keep investing in our people to inspire their growth.
Relevance
We’ll be here whenever we’re needed; listening, learning, adapting, and innovating. We’ll be healthily restless and always open to change, ready to evolve in tune with our members and the world around us.
Making The Difference means finding new ways to help people have a home.
How? By thinking differently to help those who can't afford to buy, and by working differently with community partners to improve access to shelter and housing.
As a member-owned mutual, our community has always been close to our hearts. After all, without the people of Cambridge, our Society simply wouldn't exist.
That's why we're working hard to give back when we can... and Making The Difference is how we're doing it.
Making The DifferenceOur approach to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
We pride ourselves on being a fair and inclusive Building Society. And we know that our members admire and respect the moral fabric that’s always been found at the heart of The Cambridge.
Our approach to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging means every team member feels respected and integral to our culture.
Find out moreWho manages your building society
Peter Burrows
Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director
Peter was appointed Chief Executive Officer in October 2019 having joined the Society in 2016. His vision is for The Cambridge to be a thriving, independent, mutual business, dedicated to helping people have a home and being a trusted place for people to save.
He has more than 25 years of financial services experience, having held senior roles in both mutual and plc businesses and worked in the UK, as well as in mainland Europe. In addition to ensuring that The Cambridge remains a member-centric, financially secure business, Peter is committed to the further development of our ‘Making The Difference’ programme aimed at supporting our members and their local communities.
A mathematics graduate of Oxford University, Peter now embraces ‘all things Cambridge’ as a keen road cyclist and runner alongside the River Cam. A favourite area is around Magdalene Bridge, which for him is where history and modernity meet.
Outside of the Society, Peter is a trustee of Astrea Academy Trust, a multi-academy trust with schools across Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire.
Peter sits on the Nominations Committee and attends the Audit, Risk and Remuneration & People committees. He is one of the Society’s representatives on the Cambridge Building Society Community Fund panel and was made ‘Business Person of the Year’ in the 2024 Cambridge Independent Business Awards.
Richard Brockbank
Chief Financial Officer, Executive Director
Richard joined the Board at The Cambridge in 2020 as Chief Financial Officer and brings a wealth of experience to the role.
After graduating from the University of Cambridge and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Richard spent 10 years working in early-stage venture capital fund management.
In 2015, Richard joined the Society as Head of Finance where he has been integral to the delivery of The Cambridge’s strategy to deliver sustainable growth focused on long term benefits to both savers and borrowers.
In Richard’s spare time he is a keen photographer. He also loves baking and is a keen (but slow!) cyclist.
Carole Charter
Chief Commercial Officer, Executive Director
Carole Charter joined the Society in 2003 and has since held a variety of marketing and customer-related roles within the business. She was appointed to Chief Commercial Officer and joined the Board in April 2020.
Carole brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of financial services and the building society sector to the role, which encompasses responsibility for marketing, product development, lending, and financial support and arrears.
Carole has an Accountancy and Financial Management degree from the University of Sheffield. Carole attends the Risk Committee and chairs the Operational & Conduct Risk Committee.
In Carole’s spare time she’s a big ‘foodie’ and enjoys cooking up curries and the occasional paella. She would also like to spend more evenings attending the local theatre, the west end, and the opera.
Lucy Crumplin
Chief Operating Officer, Executive Director
Lucy Crumplin joined The Cambridge in November 2019 as interim Head of People and during 2020 became our Chief Operating Officer and member of our Board.
Lucy studied English Literature and Psychology at Cardiff University before joining KPMG and completing an MSc in Human Resources. Her skill in driving business improvement, turning strategy into reality and building positive workplace cultures has grown over more than 20 years in management consultancy and in-house leadership roles. She also has six years’ experience as a Non-Executive Director of an NHS Foundation Trust.
Today, Lucy is responsible for ensuring The Cambridge has the operational capability to deliver outstanding customer service, help more people have a home, and make a difference in our community. Her remit includes customer engagement (our branch network and customer contact centre), IT and change, people and culture, underwriting, facilities and operational resilience.
Outside of work Lucy can usually be found cheering on her son and daughter at various sports fixtures, walking the dog, or just relaxing in front of the TV.
Sandhya Kawar
Chief Risk Officer, Executive Director
Sandhya joined the Board of The Cambridge as Chief Risk Officer in January 2022.
Sandhya studied BSc and MSc Economics at the London School of Economics and Warwick Universities. She started her career as an economist at the Bank of England in 2004.
She has since worked in various risk roles at Deloitte, M&G, and the private bank, C. Hoare & Co. Through her career, Sandhya has built up her expertise in using risk insights to support business strategy and growth. At the Cambridge, Sandhya is responsible for the Risk & Compliance oversight teams, and also acts as the Money Laundering Reporting Officer and the Data Protection Officer.
Sandhya and her husband welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their lives in 2023. She moved to Cambridge with her family in 2024, and they are enjoying settling into the new area. Following her maternity leave, Sandhya returned to work in the summer of 2024.
John Spence CBE DL
Chairman, Non-Executive Director
John joined The Cambridge in November 2020 and was appointed as Chairman of the Board in April 2021. John also chairs the Nominations Committee.
John has had a distinguished career in financial services, principally with Lloyds TSB where he ended his executive career with a series of Managing Director roles across various parts of the business. Born and raised in Edinburgh, John excelled as a scholar, spanning across George Watson’s College, Trinity College, Dublin, and Harvard Business School.
John has held a range of roles, including Non-Executive Directorships, at the property group Spicerhaart and Skipton Building Society. He is also deeply committed to charitable and public service, being cabinet member for Health and Adult Social Care at Essex County Council and is a Deputy Lieutenant for Essex. He retired after ten years as Finance Chair of the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England on 30 September 2023. He has been president or chair of various disabled charities such as Action for Blind People, Revitalise and Enable.
John is a proud family man and lives with his wife, Yvonne, in Essex. He has a passion for cooking, swimming and gardening. John has been awarded the MBE, OBE and CBE for services to community, charity and business respectively.
Fiona Hotston Moore
Vice-Chair, Non-Executive Director
Fiona Hotston Moore joined The Cambridge in November 2018 and brings extensive financial expertise from a career in accountancy, which started in Cambridge at KPMG. Since then, she has been a Partner in a number of Top 10 and international firms in London. Fiona was appointed Senior Independent Director and vice-Chair of the Board in April 2023. She is also a member of the Audit Committee and Nominations Committee.
Fiona is an experienced forensic accountant and business valuer. Fiona founded a boutique practice, FHM Forensic Accounting Limited in early 2024 and provides expert witness services to clients across the UK and beyond.
Fiona was attracted to The Cambridge because of our strong reputation, culture and focus on the local market and considers it a privilege to serve on the Board.
Fiona is a keen runner and is active on social media. She works with the Samaritans as a listening volunteer and also supports communities within local prisons.
Pauline Caldwell
Non-Executive Director
Pauline is a seasoned Global HR professional, Non-Executive Director, and Executive Coach with over 20 years of experience in developing and coaching high-performing leaders. Her sector focus is financial and professional services.
Pauline advises Boards and business leaders to enhance their people leadership capabilities in a supportive, yet challenging way. Her expertise spans leadership development, compensation and remuneration, succession planning, ED&I, and relationship management. She believes in a balance of business strategy and human-centric leadership.
Since joining the Board in April 2023, Pauline serves as Chair of the Remuneration and People Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee. She holds an MCIPD qualification, a Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching, and a Systemic Team Coaching certification.
Beyond her professional life, Pauline enjoys practicing yoga, personal training, reading both fiction and leadership books, indulging in cinema, and spending time with her eight nieces and nephews.
Harriet Hunnable
Non-Executive Director
Harriet joined The Cambridge in 2000 as a member when she opened a savings account for the first of her three children. In 2023 she joined the Board to help with its contribution to the community and the city she loves. Harriet is a member of the Risk and Remuneration & People Committees
She brings a unique combination of financial services, treasury and environmental, social and governance expertise. Having started her career in the treasury of a small bank Harriet later went onto lead benchmark reform for the Financial Conduct Authority. Her work has been recognised with several financial product awards and Harriet is a FN 100 Women in Finance holder. Now she serves on critical benchmark oversight boards, advisory boards and works at the University of Cambridge on climate and nature initiatives.
Climate change and a just and fair transition are among her key interests, and she brings experience of helping leaders incorporate new approaches.
Harriet lives in Trumpington, Cambridge, is married to Joe and has three children, who are all keen on cooking and eating together! In her spare time, she is a Cambridge Caring Together volunteer.
Daniel Mundy
Non-Executive Director
Daniel Mundy joined The Cambridge as a Non-Executive Director in January 2023 and is Chair of the Risk Committee.
Over an executive career spanning 25 years. Daniel has held senior roles (including CFO and CRO) across several regulated entities and UK financial service regulators.
Once Daniel completed his formal studies in maths and economics at University College London, he started his professional career at the Halifax and subsequently worked at several leading mutual organisations, including Yorkshire Building Society, Nationwide Building Society and the Nottingham Building Society; in addition to these roles in the mutual sector, Daniel also worked within the regulator as part of its leadership team after the global financial crisis.
Daniel is also a trustee of DEBRA, UK. DEBRA's mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) by providing support, research, and advocacy for this rare genetic condition. As well as being a trustee, Daniel is also Chair of Debra’s Finance, Risk and Audit committee.
Daniel lives in Rutland with his young family and ever-growing collection of family pets and spends his leisure hours pacing various sports pitches across the Midlands.
Mark Jeffries
Non-Executive Director
Mark joined the Board in October 2023 and has strong affinity with the Cambridge community having studied law at St John’s College and spent his executive career at Mills & Reeve whose largest office is in the city. Mark was the Managing Partner of Mills & Reeve for six years and the Senior Partner for eight years.
Since retiring from Mills & Reeve, Mark has held a series of non-executive roles in a wide variety of organisations including R.G. Carter Holdings and Britten Sinfonia. Mark is Chair of our Audit Committee.
Mark lives in Norwich with his wife, Catherine, with whom he has two adult children and two grandchildren.
Stephen O’Donnell
Non-Executive Director
Steve joined The Cambridge in February 2025 and has extensive experience in both technology and financial services. He is a member of the Risk Committee.
Steve served as the Coventry Building Society's chief information officer from 2019 to 2021, delivering a major digital transformation of the Society's member-facing platforms. He previously worked as the CIO for AJ Gallagher, a Chicago-based insurance brokerage company, and as the global head of data centre operations for British Telecom.
He is an Independent NED for Guarddog AI Inc., an Artificial Intelligence cyber security firm based in Utah, USA, and COO of The Scottish Business Network, a professional non-profit organisation created to unite and help the Scottish Diaspora at home and abroad. He also serves as a Board advisor for the CFA Society of the UK, which aims to educate, connect, and inspire the professional investment industry.
Steve is deeply interested in electrical engineering and has written extensively on the impact of society's decarbonisation on global electrical generation and distribution.
Steve lives in Central London with his Ukrainian refugee guests, who have fled the Russian invasion of their homeland. He enjoys spending weekends at the family farm in Beccles, Suffolk, where, unfortunately, he is permanently engaged in the maintenance and repair of the farmhouse and outbuildings.