Joe Garner is an experienced and accomplished former CEO who believes passionately in delivering lasting success with humanity and purpose – particularly through tough times. Joe is now working as an advisor to Chief Executives across public and private sector and the Royal Household through his role on the independent Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee. In 2023 and 2024 Joe also advised the UK Government by leading The Future of Payments review and development of the National Payments Vision.
Joe’s career started with Procter & Gamble in 1991 working predominantly in Romania to help lead P&G’s expansion in Central and Eastern Europe.
After a brief spell as founder of an internet start-up, in 2001 he joined Dixons/Currys. In 2004 Joe joined HSBC rising to lead HSBC’s UK retail division through the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 and was promoted to Head of HSBC in the UK. In 2014 he became Chief Executive Officer of Openreach – BT’s infrastructure division. During his tenure and in partnership with local and central Government, he led the deployment of superfast broadband to over 90% of UK homes.
In 2016, Joe joined Nationwide Building Society as CEO and led the organisation through Brexit and COVID. He successfully grew the mutual’s business to record profit, leading employee engagement and an unbroken seven-year spell as number one for customer service in the industry. Joe served as a non-executive director of the Financial Ombudsman Service from 2008-2010 and sat on the Board of the UK Finance – the industry association – for six years. He was also both Chair and a member of the Financial Regulator’s Practitioner Panel for over 10 years.
In February 2024 Joe was appointed by the Cabinet Office to the committee responsible for recommending proposals for a permanent memorial and legacy programme to remember Queen Elizabeth II.
Joe is passionate about the value of physical and mental wellbeing in leadership. He is a Patron of British Triathlon and a GB Aquabike age group competitor, finishing 16th in his age group at the World Triathlon Championships in Woollongong, Australia in October 2025. He was Chair of the British Triathlon charity from 2013 to 2021. Joe is also a keen tennis player and since 2023 has served as Chair of the charity Tennis First. Joe is a fellow of King’s College School, Wimbledon.
Joe has recently published a book entitled “52 Hard Learned Learned Lessons for Leaders” which is available to his clients.
