Darlington Building Society chief executive officer Andrew Craddock has announced his retirement after seven years in the role.

Craddock will step down at the 2026 Annual General Meeting on 27 April 2026.

He has worked in financial services for the last 40 years, with the last 12 years working as a chief executive officer in the mutual sector.

Before moving to the North East, Craddock’s career included roles with Barclays Bank, Allied Irish Bank and Buckinghamshire Building Society.

He became CEO of Darlington Building Society in 2018 when the organisation was in need of a new strategic direction and significant investment to modernise its services.

Craddock says: “It has been a privilege to be a steward of the Society’s progress over the past seven years, and I’m proud of what we have achieved. It has also been a joy to get to know this fantastic part of the country, and the people who live here.”

Darlington Building Society chair Rachel Court adds: “Andrew has been an incredibly successful and transformative CEO of the Society for the past seven years, having led the modernisation of our systems, the implementation of our online savings capability, the enhancement of our culture and our offering to members, and perhaps most crucially of all, having contributed massively to the Society’s presence in and support of our local communities.”

Earlier this month, Darlington Building Society announced a series of rate reductions of up to 0.35% across its residential mortgage range.