Swansea Building Society, with branch offices in Swansea, Mumbles, Carmarthen and Cowbridge, has appointed a new Non-Executive Director to its board – Sophie Thomas.

Thomas comes to the role with over 13 years as a practising solicitor, specialising in commercial litigation with additional significant experience in property law.

The majority of Thomas’s legal career has been spent with JCP Solicitors in Swansea, where she is currently Director and Joint Head of Commercial Litigation. This role sees her lead a team providing a service to lenders recovering secured and unsecured business lending from companies and individuals across the UK.

Thomas is also JCP Solicitors’ Training Principal, with responsibility for mentoring trainee solicitors and supervising their training contracts. She is listed in the Legal 500 (the world’s leading legal directory) as a Next Generation Partner.

The solicitor – a Llanelli native with family roots in the town – is also a committee member of the Swansea and District Law Society and an Associate Member of Nara, the professional Association of Property and Fixed Charge Receivers.

The appointment comes as Swansea Building Society, established in 1923, is set to celebrate its 100-year anniversary with multiple initiatives, events and fundraisers, all based around the number 100, throughout 2023.

Sophie Thomas, Non-Executive Director at Swansea Building Society, said:

“I’m very excited to be taking on this new Non-Executive Director role with Swansea Building Society – particularly as it celebrates a milestone as important as its centenary. The Society’s success in recent years is a tribute to its team and its customer-focused, common-sense approach to lending. I hope that the legal experience I bring to the role can help the society continue on this successful road, and enable it to help even more people build a more financially secure future for themselves and their families.”

Alun Williams, chief executive officer at Swansea Building Society, added:

“We are delighted to welcome Sophie to her new role of Non-Executive Director. Sophie’s skillset and experience in the areas of commercial litigation and property law are bound to be a great benefit to the Society and will be invaluable in helping us build on our success and achieve our business aims.”