SPEAKER: SIR BRIAN PITMAN

Sir Brian Pitman joined Lloyds Bank in 1952 and subsequently held a number of managerial appointments in the group, including spells in continental Europe and the USA.

He became Chief Executive of Lloyds Bank in 1983 and Group Chief Executive of the new Lloyds TSB Group in 1995, when Lloyds Bank merged with TSB.

He was appointed Chairman of the Lloyds TSB Group in February 1997 and retired in April 2001.

He is also chairman of NEXT Plc; a director of Carlton Communications Plc; a director of Tomkins PLC; a director of The Carphone Warehouse Group Plc; and a Governor of Ashridge Management College.

Sir Brian was President of the British Bankers Association from January 1996 to May 1997 and President of The Chartered Institute of Bankers from May 1997 to October 1998.

In 1993, he was voted Financial World European Banking CEO of the Year; 1996 Times Businessman of the Year; 1998 KPMG Business Leader of the Year and was the winner of the 1999 Gold Medal of the Institute of Management.

Sir Brian was knighted for his services to banking in 1994 and he received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science from The City University, London in 1996 and from the University of Science & Technology, Manchester in 2000.