Jul 2, 2026 · 21 min · 8 segments
In this episode of Women Who Make It Happen, host Sue Saunders talks to Tanya Retter, CEO of the Chartered Banker Institute, about the future of professional standards in a digital-first banking…
Tanya RetterGuest
Sue SaundersHost
Well, firstly, I'm currently very privileged to be the CEO of the Charter Banker Institute at the moment.
So that's my... role and I was absolutely delighted to be in that particular leadership role it's a fantastic organisation and I'm very privileged to be there so that's where I am today but it hasn't always been in those types of roles at all and in fact my career goes way back I left school from college so I chose to take the University of Life as I would say to my father yes I thought so at the time and And actually never regretted that either, although I am a lifelong learner, so it's not about not learning and not understanding and taking on knowledge.
and many people will probably laugh when they hear this, but I actually really wanted to be a policewoman, I think, at that time, but didn't go that route.
But when everyone at college was going, what should we do next? Somebody one day brought loads of application forms in for banks because they were recruiting heavily at that time.
And I thought, oh, I just, everybody else was, I might as well just do an application, which is what I did.
And I was very lucky to get several interviews and offers, but I chose to go in at West.
And I entered on their management development programme That was back in the very late 80s, early 90s, which at that time for a female and offering accelerated development was actually quite unusual.
But actually that taught me so much about... everything in banks and branches from working right at the customer front line and delivering teas and sweeping safes in those days.
Right the way through to understanding more broadly about securities, the world of treasury, as well as much more around business and commercial banking as well.
So I was very lucky to do that for about the first 10 years of my life, probably even less than that.
Well, firstly, I'm currently very privileged to be the CEO of the Charter Banker Institute at the moment.
So that's my... role and I was absolutely delighted to be in that particular leadership role it's a fantastic organisation and I'm very privileged to be there so that's where I am today but it hasn't always been in those types of roles at all and in fact my career goes way back I left school from college so I chose to take the University of Life as I would say to my father yes I thought so at the time and And actually never regretted that either, although I am a lifelong learner, so it's not about not learning and not understanding and taking on knowledge.
and many people will probably laugh when they hear this, but I actually really wanted to be a policewoman, I think, at that time, but didn't go that route.
But when everyone at college was going, what should we do next? Somebody one day brought loads of application forms in for banks because they were recruiting heavily at that time.
And I thought, oh, I just, everybody else was, I might as well just do an application, which is what I did.
And I was very lucky to get several interviews and offers, but I chose to go in at West.
And I entered on their management development programme That was back in the very late 80s, early 90s, which at that time for a female and offering accelerated development was actually quite unusual.
But actually that taught me so much about... everything in banks and branches from working right at the customer front line and delivering teas and sweeping safes in those days.
Right the way through to understanding more broadly about securities, the world of treasury, as well as much more around business and commercial banking as well.
So I was very lucky to do that for about the first 10 years of my life, probably even less than that.
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