Jamie Grant: Insights from growing Barclays Bank in Scotland over the past two decades

Jamie Grant is Managing Director and Head of Corporate Banking for Scotland at Barclays Bank. He is also a Non-Executive Director (NED) for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

In this episode, we hear how Jamie took an opportunity to be part of growing Barclays in Scotland over 20 years ago, when it barely had a presence in comparison to having 7,000 employees now in Scotland. He discusses how working in professional services can develop you, how to gain clients in a competitive landscape and how he built successful teams.

We also touch on Jamie’s first NED role, including the differences between working as an executive versus as a non-executive and advice for others who are seeking their first NED role.

TIMINGS OF EPISODE

00:00-02:58: Introduction and background

02:59-06:55: From Ernst & Young’s mailroom to Trainee Accountant

06:56-08:45: Transferring to South Africa with EY to management consulting

08:46-10:22: How a career in Professional Services can develop you

10:23-17:44: Moving from Bank of Scotland to grow the Barclays brand in Scotland

17:45-22:50: How do you successfully gain clients in a competitive market

22:51-24:17: Discussion on soft skills and creating a great culture with people with different strengths

24:18-29:07: How Jamie built successful teams

29:08-34:15: More on his role as Non-Executive Director for the Commonwealth Games for 2026 and advice for those seeking their first NED role

34:16-37:12: Professional and personal goals for the next 12 months

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.