NatWest CEO – Paul Thwaite (Age – 54)

CEO Update: Alison Rose resigned as NatWest Group CEO in July 2023 following the Nigel Farage debanking controversy. Paul Thwaite was appointed interim CEO on July 25, 2023, and confirmed as permanent Group CEO on February 16, 2024. This article has been fully updated to reflect the current leadership.

NatWest Group plc, one of the United Kingdom’s largest banking and financial services companies, traces its roots back to 1727 with the founding of the Royal Bank of Scotland. Today, NatWest CEO Paul Thwaite leads the group’s £14.6 billion income business and a workforce of approximately 59,000 employees across its retail, commercial, and institutional banking operations. Appointed permanent CEO in February 2024 after serving as interim chief since July 2023, Thwaite is a 27-year NatWest veteran who has held senior roles across wholesale, corporate, international, and retail banking in the UK, Europe, and the US. Under his leadership, NatWest delivered a 17.5% return on tangible equity in 2024, returned £4 billion to shareholders, and welcomed nearly 500,000 new customers.

Read on to discover NatWest CEO email address, Paul Thwaite net worth in 2026, salary and compensation, career history, wife & family, and more.
Paul Thwaite NatWest Group CEO
Paul Thwaite, Group Chief Executive Officer of NatWest Group • Photo: NatWest Group

Paul Thwaite – Quick Facts

Paul Thwaite — At a Glance
Full Name John-Paul Thwaite
Position Group Chief Executive Officer
Company NatWest Group plc (LSE: NWG)
Age 54 years (born September 1971)
Education B.Sc. Management Science & Chemistry, University of Manchester
Net Worth (2026) £8–12 Million
Total Compensation £6.6 Million (FY2024)
CEO Since July 25, 2023 (interim); February 16, 2024 (permanent)
Previous Role CEO, Commercial & Institutional, NatWest Group
Email [email protected]
LinkedIn Paul Thwaite on LinkedIn

NatWest Group Competitors

NatWest Group operates in the highly competitive UK and international banking sector. The key competitors of NatWest Group include:

  • Lloyds Banking Group – UK’s largest retail bank by market share
  • Barclays – major UK retail, corporate, and investment bank
  • HSBC Holdings – Europe’s largest bank by total assets
  • Santander UK – significant UK retail banking presence
  • Standard Chartered – international banking and financial services
  • Nationwide Building Society – UK’s largest building society
  • Virgin Money UK – acquired by Nationwide in 2024
  • Revolut / Monzo / Starling – fast-growing UK digital challenger banks

Paul Thwaite Net Worth 2026 – NatWest CEO Salary

As of 2026, Paul Thwaite net worth is estimated at approximately £8–12 million (approximately $10–15 million USD), based on his disclosed NatWest Group share holdings, accumulated compensation, and public filings. Thwaite has built his wealth primarily through his 27-year career at NatWest/RBS and his executive compensation packages.

NatWest CEO Compensation Breakdown (FY2024)

Component Amount (GBP) Share
Base Salary £1,160,000 17.6%
Fixed Share Allowance £1,160,000 17.6%
Annual Bonus (Cash & Deferred) £1,740,000 26.4%
Long-Term Share Awards £2,280,000 34.5%
Other Benefits & Pension £260,000 3.9%
TOTAL £6,600,000 100%
Key Insight: Paul Thwaite’s £6.6 million compensation for FY2024 represents a 33% increase from £4.9 million in FY2023, making it the highest CEO pay package at NatWest since Fred Goodwin’s £7.7 million in 2006. Over 60% of his pay is performance-linked through bonuses and share awards, reflecting NatWest’s strong 2024 results.

NatWest Group Net Worth 2026 – Is NatWest Profitable?

Yes, NatWest Group is highly profitable. Under NatWest CEO Paul Thwaite, the bank delivered its strongest financial performance in years, with operating profit before tax of £6.2 billion in 2024.

NatWest Group Financial Summary (FY2024)

Metric Value YoY Change
Market Capitalisation ~£48B ($64B)
Total Income (excl. notable items) £14.6B ▲ Strong
Operating Profit Before Tax £6.2B ▲ Expanding
Attributable Profit £4.5B ▲ 12%
Return on Tangible Equity (RoTE) 17.5% ▲ Improving
Shareholder Distributions £4.0B ▲ 26% div increase
Employees ~59,000
LSE Ticker NWG
Strong Growth: NatWest Group returned £4 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks in 2024, with a 26% dividend increase. The bank welcomed ~500,000 new customers and grew commercial lending by £10 billion. For 2025, NatWest guides income of £15.2–15.7 billion and RoTE of 15–16%.

NatWest CEO Email Address | Paul Thwaite Contact

Below are the official contact details and social media profiles for NatWest Group CEO Paul Thwaite:

Contact Information
Email Address [email protected]
LinkedIn Paul Thwaite – CEO at NatWest Group
Corporate HQ 36 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2YB, Scotland, UK
Corporate Website natwestgroup.com
Investor Relations investors.natwestgroup.com

Career & Education – Company, University, & College

Paul Thwaite’s career spans over 30 years in financial services, almost entirely within the NatWest/RBS group. Below is his complete career timeline:

Paul Thwaite Career Timeline

Period Role Company
1997–2012 Various Wholesale & Corporate Banking Roles NatWest / RBS
2012–2015 Global Head of Financial Institutions, International Banking RBS
2015–2019 Head of Transaction Services; MD, Commercial & Private Banking RBS / NatWest
2019–2020 Head of Commercial Banking NatWest Group
Jul 2020–Jul 2023 CEO, Commercial & Institutional NatWest Group
Jul 2023–Feb 2024 Interim Group Chief Executive Officer NatWest Group
Feb 2024–Present Group Chief Executive Officer NatWest Group

Paul Thwaite joined NatWest in 1997 — just three years before NatWest was acquired by the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2000. Over the next 15 years, he rose through the ranks in wholesale and corporate banking, gaining deep experience across multiple geographies and product areas in the UK, Europe, and the United States.

By 2012, Thwaite had advanced to Global Head of Financial Institutions within RBS’s International Banking division. In 2015, he was appointed Head of Transaction Services, contributing to the bank’s post-financial crisis restructuring. He then transitioned to Commercial & Private Banking as a Managing Director.

In July 2020, NatWest appointed Thwaite as Chief Executive of its Commercial & Institutional (C&I) franchise, one of the group’s largest business units serving startups through to multinational corporations. Following the sudden resignation of Alison Rose in July 2023, Thwaite was the natural choice to step in as interim CEO. He was formally confirmed as permanent Group CEO on February 16, 2024.

Education

Institution Qualification Website
Liverpool Blue Coat School Secondary Education bluecoatschool.org.uk
University of Manchester B.Sc. Management Science & Chemistry manchester.ac.uk
University of Manchester campus
University of Manchester — where Paul Thwaite earned his B.Sc. in Management Science & Chemistry. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Paul Thwaite Wiki – Age, Family, & More

NatWest Group CEO Paul Thwaite (age 54) was born John-Paul Thwaite in September 1971 in Liverpool, England. He grew up in Liverpool and attended the prestigious Liverpool Blue Coat School in Wavertree before studying management science and chemistry at the University of Manchester. Thwaite resides near London with his wife and two children. He maintains a relatively private personal life compared to many FTSE 100 chief executives.

Notable Achievements & Recognitions

  • 27-Year NatWest Veteran – One of the longest-serving insiders to lead the bank, joining in 1997
  • Led Post-Rose Stabilisation – Successfully steadied NatWest through the Farage debanking crisis in 2023
  • Record Shareholder Returns – Oversaw £4 billion in distributions to shareholders in 2024
  • UK Government Stake Exit – Managed the final reduction of the UK government’s stake in NatWest, originally acquired during the 2008 financial crisis bailout
  • University of Manchester Board of Trustees – Active member, contributing to university governance and strategy
  • London Marathon Charity Runner – Completed the 2009 London Marathon fundraising for the Back-Up Trust spinal injury charity

Thwaite is known for his steady leadership style and deep institutional knowledge. He has been described by colleagues and analysts as a pragmatic, customer-focused leader who emphasises cultural transformation and inclusive team-building across regions and disciplines.

About NatWest Group

NatWest Group plc is a major British banking and financial services company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. The group traces its origins to 1727 with the founding of the Royal Bank of Scotland. After acquiring National Westminster Bank in 2000, the combined entity operated as The Royal Bank of Scotland Group until rebranding to NatWest Group in 2020. Today, the group operates through several key brands:

Brand Focus Description
NatWest Retail & Business (England/Wales) Flagship retail and business banking brand
Royal Bank of Scotland Retail & Business (Scotland) Historic Scottish banking brand since 1727
Coutts Private Banking & Wealth Prestigious private bank serving high-net-worth clients
Ulster Bank Northern Ireland Retail and commercial banking in Northern Ireland

NatWest Group trades on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NWG. The group serves approximately 19 million customers, welcomed ~91,000 new business start-ups in 2024, and has committed £31.5 billion to climate and sustainable financing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who is the current CEO of NatWest Group?

The current CEO of NatWest Group is Paul Thwaite, who was appointed interim Group Chief Executive on July 25, 2023, following Alison Rose’s resignation. He was confirmed as permanent CEO on February 16, 2024. Thwaite is a 27-year NatWest veteran with extensive experience across wholesale, corporate, and institutional banking.

What is Paul Thwaite’s net worth in 2026?

As of 2026, Paul Thwaite’s net worth is estimated at £8–12 million (approximately $10–15 million USD), based on his disclosed NatWest share holdings, accumulated executive compensation, and public filings from his 27-year banking career.

What is NatWest CEO’s salary?

Paul Thwaite’s total compensation for FY2024 was approximately £6.6 million, including a £1.16 million base salary, £1.16 million fixed share allowance, £1.74 million annual bonus, and £2.28 million in long-term share awards. This represents a 33% increase from £4.9 million in 2023.

What is NatWest CEO’s email address?

NatWest Group CEO Paul Thwaite’s email address is [email protected]. He can also be reached via LinkedIn. For investor relations, visit investors.natwestgroup.com.

Why did Alison Rose leave NatWest?

Alison Rose resigned as NatWest Group CEO in July 2023 after it emerged that she had discussed the banking affairs of Nigel Farage with a BBC journalist. The controversy centered on the closure of Farage’s Coutts account, and Rose’s departure triggered a leadership transition that led to Paul Thwaite’s appointment.

Is NatWest Group a profitable company?

Yes, NatWest Group is highly profitable. In FY2024, the bank reported attributable profit of £4.5 billion, operating profit before tax of £6.2 billion, and a return on tangible equity of 17.5%. The bank returned £4 billion to shareholders and increased its dividend by 26%.

Article last updated:February 2026March 2, 2026

Disclaimer: All information presented in this article has been compiled from publicly available sources, including annual reports, official company press releases, and reputable news outlets. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.