NatWest CEO donates a huge percent of her salary in light of the coronavirus crisis

NatWest CEO Alison Rose has announced that she will donate a huge portion of her annual salary to charity amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Alison, who has been at the helm of the NatWest Group as CEO since 2019, will donate 25 per cent of her fixed pay for the rest of the year to the National Emergencies Trust (NET) Coronavirus Appeal. Speaking exclusively to HELLO!, Alison explains her generous donation – and how important it was that she played a part in helping those in need: "As a purpose-led bank it is more important than ever that NatWest supports the communities we serve through these difficult times. I am immensely proud of all the charitable work going on across the bank, including the use of our Edinburgh headquarters as a food bank distribution hub." 

© Will Azzoug

NatWest CEO Alison Rose has donated a portion of her salary to a coronavirus appeal

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Alison continues: "As Chief Executive, I wanted to play my part. Which is why, alongside our Chairman, Howard Davies, I took the decision to forego some of my salary for the rest of the year. This money will be donated to the National Emergency Trust in order to help those who need it most and is in addition to the £3m and counting that NatWest has already raised for the NET's Covid fund through the match funding of charitable donations made by our customers." 

Alison is a leading voice for championing women entrepreneurs – and was appointed by the government to investigate barriers faced by women when starting a business. The Rose Review, in 2019, investigated the obstacles female business owners face, and what can be done to help them overcome them. At the time of the review, women only made up a third of all entrepreneurs in the UK, falling massively behind other countries. Following on from the review, Alison commented that some of the findings were "stark" but the review was "just the beginning." 

SEE: 6 new blue plaques honouring amazing women are coming to London

© Adam Hollingworth

Alison at a roundtable with female entrepreneurs earlier in the year

A year on from the Rose Review and Coutts, the private banking arm of NatWest together with investment company Business Growth Fund (BGF) are launching The UK Enterprise Fund, supporting and funding underrepresented entrepreneurs, with specific initiatives for female-led businesses. NatWest also announced £1billion of Female Entrepreneurship Funding, launched Back Her Business – the UK's only female crowdfunding platform - and created a number of Family First banking products.

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Social media is a brilliant way to connect people and create communities, but it also has a dark side. Join HELLO!'s #HelloToKindness movement to promote positivity on social media. A kind ethos underpins everything we do at HELLO! and we urge our community to think twice before you post. Find out more about the #HelloToKindness movement.