Yorkshire MD's career has had share of twists

UNTIL recently Peter Symes wouldn't go near a dance floor, but now he practises his cha-chas at least twice a week. The managing director of Yorkshire Guernsey was well and truly bitten by the dance bug after taking part in last year's Collas Day Strictly Come Dancing challenge.

'Jamie Le Tissier and I were on the radio promoting the Dancesport Festival, which was sponsored by the bank, and Jenny Kendall-Tobias said why didn't she and I learn to dance the tango.

'I was thinking I'd never set foot on a dance floor. She's 6ft 2in. and I'm 5ft 9in. and I thought the only way I would do it is for Comic Relief or something.

'Then my name came up to do Strictly Come Dancing and I've been dancing every week since. I'm not going to stop now - my wife's been trying to get me on the dance floor all my life and now she's happy.'

When he's not mastering intricate dance steps, Mr Symes gains satisfaction from heading a team of staff and growing a business.

He has enjoyed a career in finance all his working life.

'Ever since I started work, I have enjoyed customer contact,' he said.

But banking was not his first choice.

'I wanted to join the Royal Navy but my Dad had an aversion to that. In those days, banks would come to the schools and I was offered an interview in Brighton with Westminster Bank, which was successful.'

Like many other managers, he started at the bottom and learned the basics of banking.

'I was the lowest of the low and spent seven years there before it merged with National Provincial.'

Staying in Guernsey was a priority and Mr Symes spent time at branches in St Martin's and St Peter's before becoming a manager's clerk in the High Street branch.

When he was offered the chance to move away from the island, it could not have come at a worse time.

'My wife was due to give birth to our first daughter and there was no way I was going to move. A successful reply to a job advert ended up with a move to the Royal Trust Company, where I learned trust and company secretarial work.'

Unfortunately the job entailed working three days a week in Jersey and the company then closed its Guernsey operation.

'I was offered a job in Jersey but declined as we had just bought a new house.

'I was lucky to find a new post working for the American bank Manufacturers Hanover.

'I was highly involved with the first computer installation in 1980 and spent a few years in an operational role.

'Then it merged with Chemical Bank in the early 90s.'

Mr Symes was made head of operations at the age of 39 and then the bank merged again, this time with Chase.

'When they merged in 1995/96, all staff were made redundant and the business was transferred to Chase's existing offices in Jersey because the American banks were going through rationalisation in the US.'

It was a harsh blow and Mr Symes described the time as 'stressful'.

'One of the biggest disappointments was that for the last couple of years I had been working in Guernsey, becoming the head of operations for the whole group and putting new computer systems in throughout the world.

'When they told us we were being made redundant, I was charged with overseeing the transfer out of the business and was one of the last members of staff to leave.'

During that period he applied to become manager of Yorkshire Guernsey and was successful.

'I was appointed as manager and director, with promotion to managing director after a couple of years.'

Mr Symes said he gained a lot of satisfaction from being in charge of its day-to-day running.

'I make decisions and speak to head office but they leave us to our own devices a lot of the time. I like growing the business - it's almost back-to-basics banking. We are purely a deposit-taking organisation and we enjoy giving customers the service they are looking for.'

Mr Symes has strived to improve and gives his staff the impetus to do the same.

'Without customers we don't have a job, so we do our best to help them and give them good service. I get a lot of pleasure out of coming to work and helping people achieve their goals - customers and staff.

'I also like seeing the balances grow. They have doubled since I have been here and last year was our best ever.'

He admits that will be tough to beat.

'How do you top that? With difficulty. It was a fantastic year because I was also captain of the Royal Guernsey Golf Club.'