Experienced CEO Joe Garner is a development, leadership, and vision expert, prioritising commercial success infused with purpose during challenging periods.
Having worked at the highest levels for some of the UK’s biggest banks, Joe is an expert on anything finance, business, leadership, and development.
Joe passionately believes in delivering lasting success with humanity and purpose. He is also passionate about the value of physical and mental wellbeing in leadership.
Joe Garner’s professional career started at Procter & Gamble in 1991, where he drove their expansion into Central and Eastern Europe. He then moved to Dixons/Currys in 2001, initially as a Marketing Director, and then launching Immobilise.
He would then go on to work for HSBC, navigating the Great Financial Crisis, and becoming the Head of HSBC in the UK. Joe then joined Openreach, BT’s infrastructure arm, becoming their CEO where he collaborated with governmental bodies to spearhead the rollout of superfast broadband to over 90% of UK households.
He then took the helm at Nationwide Building Society in 2016, steering them through Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, they achieved unprecedented profits, exceptional customer service, and robust employee engagement for seven consecutive years. He left Nationwide in 2022.
As well as his 30+ years spent in high-street banks, Joe Garner served as a non-executive director of the Financial Ombudsman Service, sat on the Practitioner Panel of the Financial Services Authority, and as Chair of the British Triathlon charity. The latter position marries well with his passion regarding the value of exercise in overall well-being.
In 2023 he was named as the Chair for an independent review on the Future of Payments with the objective of considering how payments would be made in the future; and then in 2024 he was appointed by the Cabinet Officer to the committee responsible for a permanent memorial and legacy programme in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.
Whilst he may not have always been top of the class – at 13 years old he was so small that they put him in the back of a boat as a cox – but he has always loved sport, exercise, and competition. He would go on to compete professionally as a cox on an international basis and for Leander Club, of which he is now a member.
In 2002, he completed the London Triathlon for charity and caught the bug instantly, and has now spent over 20 years involved in the sport =. His passion for fitness has led him to be a Patron of British Triathlon and a GB age group competitor, finishing 16th at the 2022 World Championships in Abu Dhabi; he was also Chair of the British Triathlon charity from 2013 to 2021.
Due to a bad back, he’s had to limit his running, but now competes in Aquabike – the swim and bike sections of the triathlon, and even represented GB in the event in Ibiza in 2018.
As well as triathlon, he is a keen tennis player and since 2023 has served as Chair of the charity Tennis First, inspiring the nation to pick up a racquet and go and play. As a player, he even broke into the top 100 over 40’s in 2023.
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Joe has decades of experience as a CEO and now offers advice and coaching services to other CEOs. He has supported leaders across the public and mutual sectors, as well as the FTSE100. He meets regularly with CEOs for in-depth sessions, aiming to connect their personal narrative with the business purpose, helping to set up their team to optimise results and to help them develop strategies to ensure they can sustain personal energy over a longer period.
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Engaging, innovative, and hugely impactful.
Marco Amitrano, PWC UK
It was a huge privilege to have Joe speak to the John Lewis Partnership leadership team. He was human, honest and utterly inspiring.
Dame Sharon White, Chair, John Lewis Partnership
Joe has spoken a few times for Windsor Leadership, and balances experience, insights, wisdom and humour with an ease that make him really engaging and a valuable speaker.
Jonathan Story, CEO, Windsor Leadership
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