He also spent two years as director of risk management at National Bank of New Zealand before leaving in 1998 to take charge at Countrywide Bank, where he stayed a year before moving to Alliance & Leicester. A&L, a perennial takeover target but also a steady ship under Mr Pym, was seen as being delivered to a safe pair of hands in Mr Bennett. A&L has earned the tag of being the Volvo of the banking industry, but that conservatism may yet pay dividends for Mr Bennett, who has avoided both a rush into buy-to-let lending and an overreliance on finding funds in the wholesale market. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here . Read More