NatWest said Crystal will join in the summer of this year.

Crystal will be succeeding Mohammed Syed, who has been acting as interim CEO of Wealth. Peter Flavel resigned last July, along with NatWest’s group CEO, Alison Rose, following the “de-banking” saga that rocked the reputation of NatWest and Coutts – an episode which prompted politicians to raise alarms about the treatment of clients whose views are deemed to be controversial. It also shed light on how banks segment clients and treat politically exposed persons and figures in the public eye.

Crystal started out in investment banking in 2003 – working at Deutsche Bank – and gained wealth management experience at Credit Suisse, serving in roles including leadership of its Northern and West European wealth arms. At present, she is lead, sustainable finance group, at UBS. 

In her role, Crystal will report to Paul Thwaite CEO NatWest and be a member of the executive committee of NatWest Holdings. She also will sit on the Coutts board in her capacity as Coutts CEO.