Meet The Team

James Blower (Founder)

James has spent the past 13 years in the savings market. Aged just 31, he was hired by National Australia Bank to set up an offshore savings bank, Clydesdale Bank International, in Guernsey. As Managing Director, he built the bank from scratch and grew it to over £1.6bn of deposits and 23 employees, winning numerous industry awards.

His performance drew the attention of start up challenger bank Shawbrook, who appointed him as their first Savings Director. There, he built their savings business, growing deposits to in excess of £2bn. During his tenure, the savings business was recognised with an incredible 14 industry awards.

James left Shawbrook to set up Savings Guru going on to create Harrods Bank's customer service and banking operations and launching their entry to the savings market. He worked with Cambridge & Counties Bank before heading to Masthaven Bank where he was their inaugural Savings Director and responsible for the regulatory submissions and the set up of their savings business.

In 2017, James worked on a variety of savings and banking projects including Zopa’s application to become a bank, relaunching Cambridge Building Society’s savings business, creating Arbuthnot Direct and helping a confidential new entrant bank.  He then worked with specialist lender, Pepper Money, for 18 months where he was Interim Marketing & Product Director.  In addition to building the marketing and product function to support their specialist lending businesses, he helped the firm to apply for their banking licence and develop a savings business.

In 2019, James worked with Recognise Financial Services, part of City of London Group, as Interim Chief Marketing & Savings Officer.  He was responsible for the marketing and savings parts of their application to become a bank and creating the Recognise Bank brand.  James also supported a business services provider looking to enter the savings market.

In 2020, James worked with a number of clients including Oxbury Bank, where he was interim savings director and an ongoing consultant for the Bank, Hodge Bank, where he was also interim savings director, Nude Finance and a business services provider.

James is currently supporting Oxbury and Hodge Bank's and a firm applying for a banking licence.

 

  

Tanya Burrage (Collections Manager) 

Tanya is responsible for our historical collection of money boxes and savings ephemera dating from the early 1900s to present day.  She is undertaking research and interpretation of the collection with a view to establishing a permanent exhibition in the future.

Tanya has over a decade of project management experience within the Museums and Heritage Sector having worked for Norfolk Museums Service, on Heritage Lottery Funded Projects and with the local museum in Billericay.