NatWest Group, the bank formerly known as RBS, announced that non-executive director Yasmin Jetha will retire from its board on March 31, 2026.
NatWest-RBS also announced the appointment of Albert Hitchcock as an independent non-executive director with effect from February 16, 2026.
Hitchcock is a former non-executive director of Nationwide Building Society and Pureprofile and former Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Pearson. Prior to joining Pearson, he held senior roles at Vodafone Group and Nortel Networks.
Hitchcock spent a 35-year career in the technology industry and originally worked for BAE Systems and Racal Electronics, in a variety of engineering and product development roles.
In 1993 he joined the Canadian telecommunications equipment provider Nortel Networks as a senior engineer and was subsequently promoted through the organisation to become Global CIO in 2002. In January 2007 after 14 years at Nortel Hitchcock joined Vodafone and was appointed into the role of Vodafone Group Chief Information Officer.
Hitchcock joined Pearson, the international publishing conglomerate in 2014. He led the digital change at Pearson from a traditional print-based publisher to a leader in digital learning.
Between December 2018 and September 2025, Hitchcock was a non-executive director of Nationwide Building Society.
Since leaving Pearson in 2022, Hitchcock has established a portfolio career and now advises the executive teams of Hitachi, Syniti and several technology startups.
NatWest-RBS chair Rick Haythornthwaite said: “I would like to thank Yasmin for her outstanding contribution to the Board and its committees since her appointment in 2017. She has been a highly valued director and colleague and she leaves with our very best wishes for the future.
“I’m delighted to welcome Albert to the NWG Board. Albert brings over 30 years’ expertise across technology, cyber and AI which are key areas of focus for the Board and the wider bank. His financial services and technology experience will be a valuable asset to the Board.”