Starting his new position in June, Griffiths currently works as head of retail banking at Triodos Bank.

Prior to that, he held leadership roles at RAC and HSBC after beginning his banking career with former mutual, Bradford and Bingley. 

The new chief executive selection process has been led by the society’s chair designate Louise Pryor.

Pryor says: “Following a robust and rigorous selection process, [Griffiths] emerged as the outstanding candidate to lead the society, demonstrating a deep commitment to ethical finance, ensuring money has a positive impact on people and planet, combined with significant banking experience.”

Commenting on his appointment, Griffiths says it’s “an honour to join Ecology Building Society, which was founded to make better use of natural resources and reverse environmental degradation”. 

“Forty years on, Ecology’s mission has never been more relevant, with the need to address the climate crisis, deepening financial inequalities and transforming the UK’s housing stock at the heart of the sustainability challenge.”

“The fight to mitigate these issues will define the quality of life that we can all hope for in the years to come, and my aim is that Ecology plays an even greater part in creating a better future over this critical decade.

“I will be agitating for change in a broken financial system, which has invested over £150bn into fossil fuels since the 2015 Paris Climate Accord,” Griffiths adds.