Monmouthshire Building Society has announced that Haydn Warman has succeeded Robert Williams as chairman.

Haydn, who joined the board of directors as a non-executive director in 2010, and became vice-chairman in 2012, has more than 29 years’ senior management and board experience in the building society sector.

Cardiff-born Haydn graduated from Aberystwyth University before qualifying as a solicitor. He then became a partner in a private practice before joining the legal division of the Welsh Office.

He subsequently became a senior executive with Principality Building Society, being appointed society secretary and later a director of the society until retiring from executive office. During that period he was also a member of the Building Societies Association Legal Panel. He is currently deputy chairman of the University of South Wales and a non-executive director of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Paul Sheppard, who was appointed as a non-executive director in 2005, has been appointed as vice-chairman of the society.

Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and spent almost 30 years working at Deloitte, including 18 as an audit partner delivering both internal and external audit services. He went on to work in audit regulation with a continued focus on banking and, in addition, served for nine years as a board member of a specialist university.

Haydn said: “As chairman, I will continue to put the interests of our members at the forefront of all our business activity. As an independent mutual organisation, it is vital we continue to deliver competitive products and a first rate service to our customers, whilst maintaining prudent management to allow the society to continue to flourish. I would personally like to pay tribute to Robert Williams whose leadership has helped steer the society’s to the position of 15th largest building society in the UK, complemented by considerable expansion of our branch and agency network.”