Nottingham Building Society appoints Cara Bell as Chief Financial Officer Designate

Nottingham Building Society has announced the appointment of Cara Bell as Chief Financial Officer Designate. 

Cara will assume the role of Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer, and SMF2 holder (subject to regulatory approval) following the departure of Anthony Murphy in May 2026. 

A highly accomplished finance leader with over 20 years of experience across regulated banking, fintech, asset management, and global mid‑cap organisations, Cara brings a combination of deep technical expertise, commercial judgement and transformation leadership.  

A Fellow of the ICAEW and PwC‑trained Chartered Accountant, she has built a reputation for bringing clarity, rigour, and momentum to complex or transitional environments. 

Cara joins Nottingham Building Society following a series of senior CFO roles spanning global restructuring, capital strategy, IPO readiness and enterprise‑wide change. Most recently, she served as Group CFO at Iris Worldwide, the international marketing network owned by Cheil Plc (Samsung Group). There, she led a full group integration and restructuring programme, returning the business to EBITDA profitability from losses of around $10 million on revenues of c.$100 million.  

Her remit extended beyond finance, reshaping governance, strengthening operating models, redesigning legal entity structures, and partnering closely with the CEO to reset culture and performance. 

Prior to Iris, Cara broadened her experience through high‑impact interim and advisory mandates across fintech, e‑commerce, and international services. These included acting as CFO of Perfect Moment Ltd, where she delivered NASDAQ IPO preparation, PCAOB audits, due diligence, and multiple debt and equity raises; and advising the CFO and Board of Funding Circle on organisation‑wide capital structure and risk strategy, supporting a material turnaround in investment AEBITDA. 

Speaking about the appointment, Sue Hayes, Chief Executive Officer at Nottingham Building Society, said: “We are delighted to welcome Cara to Nottingham Building Society. She brings exceptional technical depth and a proven track record of driving transformation in complex, regulated, and multinational environments. Her leadership will be instrumental as we continue strengthening our financial resilience and invest in the capabilities required for the next phase of our growth strategy. 

“Cara’s appointment reflects our commitment to building a modern, sustainable mutual — one that puts long-term financial strength, member value, and responsible growth at its core. I would also like to thank Anthony Murphy for his significant contribution to the Society since 2022 and wish him every success for the future.”