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Metro Bank is changing the face of high street banking, according to CEO Craig Donaldson, who was speaking at the annual Rawlinsons Business Conference on Thursday.

The retail bank, which is entirely customer focused, opened a Peterborough branch last year.

Speaking at Rawlinsons Annual Business Conference at the Kingsgate Conference Centre, he told over 130 delegates why and how Metro Bank has broken the traditional banking mould.

“We reviewed the top ten most mentioned complaints about high street banks and chose to address them all in our new business model.

“Our vision is based on creating FANS by surprising and delighting every customer with our levels of service. Our business has grown via recommendation and satisfaction. We now have 55 stores with 1.2million fans (customers) and our plan is to grow to 200 stores by 2027,” he told delegates.

The bank was listed on March 10 2016 and is now worth £3.2 billion and is around 130 in the FTSE. It is Britain’s first new high street bank in over 100 years.

“It all started with four of us around a kitchen table and now we employ 3,200 colleagues across the UK,” he added.

“Craig’s keynote session was thought-provoking and inspirational to delegates,” said senior director Ken Craig from Rawlinsons, part of the Baldwins Group.

Other speakers at the conference included former FTSE 100 businessman Brian Jones, now co-owner of Alwalton Hall and business updates from Rawlinsons senior directors Ken Craig and Mark Jackson.

There was a series of presentations and break-out sessions focusing on:

• promoting business through Google
• incentivising employees
• procurement
• exporting
• staff wellbeing
• and productivity

Guest break-out speakers came from Media Matters, Peterborough Regional College, Worldwide Strategic Knowledge, CPSL Mind and Jez Allman Mentoring.

The morning conference was followed by an afternoon seminar focusing on accounting software options. It brought together experts from the four main software providers (Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and Exact) to update businesses on the latest innovations and key features of their products and how they can benefit business.

“Our annual business conferences have always been well supported and well received by delegates. The range of speakers and subjects covered almost guaranteed there was something helpful for each attendee. Feedback has been excellent,” added Ken Craig.