GORDON Merrylees has been appointed as Head of Entrepreneurship for RBS and NatWest, a new role heading up the bank's 'enterprise' strategy to boost the population of UK start-ups.
RBS said that as the regional managing director for business banking in Scotland, Mr Merrylees has "led the charge to place RBS at the heart of Scotland's business eco-system and has a real passion for supporting entrepreneurs".
The bank went on: "The appointment comes as the bank opens the 75,000th start-up account this year.
"This important role will lead the bank's new 'enterprise' strategy to nurture entrepreneurial talent in the UK."
It said the bank had already supported 68,000 entrepreneurs this year through 1,700 events.
In September, RBS said the strategy signalled a step-change in how the bank supported entrepreneurial talent.
It has promised to establish eight new business accelerator hubs across the UK over the next two years, as part of a multi-million pound support package for thousands of entrepreneurs across all sectors.
Mr Merrylees noted that the bank had been working in Scotland with partners such as Entrepreneurial Scotland and Entrepreneurial-Spark, the award-winning start-up accelerator program now operating in Glasgow, Ayrshire and Edinburgh and Ayrshire.
He added: "This new role is bank-wide and I am looking forward to taking my experience further afield, for the rest of the UK to benefit from, backing the businesses of tomorrow and helping ambitious entrepreneurs get to the next level - which is good for them, good for us and ultimately good for the UK economy."
The enterprise hubs, the first of which will open in Birmingham in February, will offer "workspace, hands-on mentoring, a start-up 'boot camp' and a programme of advice, support and funding clinics", the bank said.
"Gordon will work with local business leaders, staff and partners to launch and run the hubs, delivering the best of RBS and NatWest to entrepreneurs in the UK." The strategy also includes 'Opportunity Knocks' competitions and events and a development programme for the bank's relationship managers across commercial, private and business Banking.
Analytics are also being developed to identify high growth businesses.
Mr Merrylees will continue to lead the Scotland business banking team until his successor is appointed.
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