NatWest has confirmed a senior appointment within its Venture Banking team, appointing Emily Pilkington as Head of Life Sciences, Healthcare and Planetary Health. The move strengthens the bank’s specialist sector expertise and its support for innovative businesses in sectors central to the UK’s future growth.
Launched in April, NatWest Venture Banking is designed to transform how the bank supports the UK’s most ambitious and innovative venture-backed scale-ups. Its regional coverage model brings together tailored financial solutions, specialist sector expertise, strong investor relationships and deep ecosystem connectivity to help founders access capital, scale with confidence and navigate the challenges of rapid growth.
Role and responsibilities
Emily will work across the UK, helping businesses from seed stage through to exit access the full breadth of NatWest’s support. Her appointment builds on the recruitment of more than 30 venture banking specialists and the formation of a leadership team from across the innovation ecosystem.
Jenny Edwards, Head of NatWest Venture Banking, said: “To build the economy of the future, we need to back the innovators who will power it. Life sciences, healthcare and planetary sciences are areas where the UK has real strength, and Emily’s deep sector experience will further enhance the specialist, flexible support we provide to founders and investors.”
Strengthening sector expertise
Emily Pilkington, Head of Life Sciences, Healthcare and Planetary Sciences, NatWest Venture Banking, said: “The UK has an exceptional ecosystem of life science and healthcare founders, researchers and investors developing innovations that can improve lives, address major global challenges and create lasting economic value. I am excited to join NatWest Venture Banking and build on the team’s strong momentum, combining specialist insight, finance and connections to help ambitious businesses access capital and scale with confidence.”
NatWest, which has branches in Birmingham, continues to expand its Venture Banking offering, aiming to be the partner of choice for ambitious companies shaping the UK’s future economy.
