Coutts has appointed Birmingham-based Dev Shoker to lead its Midlands & East business, as the private bank looks to grow its client base and deepen relationships with entrepreneurs, business owners and families across the region.
Dev Shoker - who has more than 25 years’ experience in financial services - takes over the role from Oliver Baker, who is now Coutts’ head of Regions (South). Having held leadership roles in Birmingham and across the West Midlands during his career, Dev brings strong knowledge of the market and an established network across the region.
He joined NatWest Group in 2001 and has worked across private banking and wealth management, business banking, retail banking and regulated mortgages, giving him a broad understanding of customer and client needs. Most recently, he spent four years leading Coutts’ South East region, where he led a team of wealth managers and private bankers supporting entrepreneurial clients.
Birmingham is an important focus for Coutts given its scale and highly entrepreneurial community. The private bank sees significant opportunity to grow its client base and business across Birmingham and wider Midlands, building on its long-standing relationships with entrepreneurs, business owners and families in the region.
Dev said: “Birmingham and the wider Midlands are home to a fantastic community of entrepreneurs and business owners and, having spent a significant part of my career here, it’s a market I know well.
“There’s a real opportunity for us to support more clients as they grow their businesses, manage their wealth and plan for the future. I’m looking forward to building on the relationships Coutts already has across the region and drawing on the wider strength of NatWest Group as we grow our business across the Midlands.”
As part of NatWest Group, Coutts can draw on the Group’s wider regional reach and expertise, including Commercial Banking and Premier. The recent acquisition of Evelyn Partners brings additional investment management and financial planning expertise, helping Coutts support a broader range of client needs.
That sits alongside NatWest’s wider investment in the region’s entrepreneurial economy. Earlier this month, the bank announced a new West Midlands Accelerator cluster bringing together programmes in Birmingham, at Tyseley Energy Park and the universities of Wolverhampton and Warwick. The cluster will connect founders and growing businesses with investors, industry experts and banking support across the region.
Shona Baijal, managing director of Coutts Wealth, said: “Dev brings a really valuable combination of regional knowledge, private banking experience and a career spanning different parts of NatWest Group.
“Having worked in Birmingham and across the West Midlands, he understands the market and has an established network in the region. That wider experience also gives him a strong understanding of the different needs of customers and clients as their businesses and wealth evolve.
“I’m delighted to have him leading our Midlands & East team as we look to build on the strong foundations already in place."
