Board of directors

Mikael Hallåker, Chairman

Mikael has worked for the parent company Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) since 2001 and is currently the Chairman of the Board for two other Group subsidiaries: Handelsbanken Liv (life insurance) and Handelsbanken Fastigheter (property company). He is also a board member of Stadshypotek (a mortgage subsidiary), the Group's pension fund and the Group's pension trust. Mikael was previously Head of Investor Relations and Rating at Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) since 2010 and has experience in investment banking and from the insurance industry in Sweden.

Board committee memberships
Board Remuneration Committee
Board IT Strategy Committee

Tanya Castell, Independent Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Board Risk and Compliance Committee

Tanya Castell is a former senior global banking executive with expertise in risk management, regulation and corporate governance, with most of her career spent at J.P. Morgan and UBS. She now has a portfolio of non-executive directorships (NEDs). This includes being an independent NED on the board of Border to Coast Pension Partnership. She is also a member of the FCA’s Regulatory Decisions Committee, as well as the founder of the Scottish based charity Changing the Chemistry, a charity that she founded to promote diversity of thought in the boardroom. For her work in this area, she was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours in 2017. Previous board roles include Chair of the Quality Assurance Scheme for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, an Independent Director of the Faster Payments Scheme, Societe Generale International and Standard Life Savings.

Board committee memberships
Board Nomination Committee
Board Risk and Compliance Committee (Chair)
Board Audit Committee

Maureen Laurie , Independent Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Board Remuneration Committee

Maureen Laurie’s background is in international financial services, news and the public sector, having held senior HR roles for Reuters, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Standard Chartered Bank Plc, Barclays International and Private Banking, London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE), Euronext NV/NYSE Inc and the British Council. She has also served as a Non-Executive Trustee Director and Independent Governor for London Metropolitan University; Independent Non-Executive Director and Remuneration Committee Chair for the Cooperative Bank Plc, and as an elected Trustee Director for Reuters Pension Fund Limited/Refinitiv.

Board committee memberships
Board Remuneration Committee (Chair)
Board Nomination Committee
Board IT Strategy Committee

John Ellacott, Independent Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Board Audit Committee

John Ellacott worked at KPMG for 33 years, including 21 years as a Partner, before retiring in September 2017. At KPMG, John was primarily an auditor, but also provided advisory services covering strategy, regulatory transactions and listings both in the UK and internationally. John specialised in the financial sector and has worked with many of the UK’s leading banks and building societies. John was a Governor of Giggleswick School and has also served on the regional board of the Prince’s Trust.

Board committee memberships
Board Audit Committee (Chair)
Board Risk and Compliance Committee
Board Remuneration Committee

Agneta Lilja, Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Board Nomination Committee

Agneta Lilja started her career in Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ.) in 1981 and during her time in the bankhas held senior positions as Head of Handelsbanken International as well as an area manager in the Bank’s Stockholm region. Between 2010 and 2019 she has been a member of Handelsbanken AB (publ.) senior management, as Head of Central Infrastructure, Chief Information Officer and Executive Director. Agneta retired from Handelsbanken AB (publ.) in March 2019 and from 1 April became an appointed non-executive director of Handelsbanken plc.

Board committee memberships

Board Nomination Committee (Chair)
Board IT Strategy Committee (Chair)
Board Risk and Compliance Committee

Mikael Sørensen, Chief Executive Officer

Mikael Sørensen was appointed CEO of Handelsbanken UK in September 2016, joining from the Netherlands where he was CEO from 2007. Prior to that, Mikael was general manager of Handelsbanken Poland, and regional area manager in Handelsbanken Denmark. Mikael started his Handelsbanken career as an account manager in Denmark at the Copenhagen City branch in 1994, and was appointed branch manager in 1997. In 2018 Mikael joined the board of the UK Banking Standards Board as a practitioner member – a body established to promote high standards of behaviour and competence across UK banks. He also serves as a council member of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in the UK.

Board committee memberships
None

Martin Björnberg, Chief Financial Officer

Martin Björnberg joined Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ.) in 1989. Martin started working in the Bank’s branch operations as an account manager before moving to IT and business development operations where he led improvement and efficiency programmes for the Bank’s retail processes. Between 2002 and 2017 Martin moved on to hold senior management positions in one of the Swedish regions. He was also Head of HR for the Swedish Regional banks unit in Stockholm. Martin has held his current position of Chief Financial Officer for Handelsbanken’s UK operation since April 2017.