No.37 Trevor Foster

Jul 17 2007 Power 50

Trevor Foster is a familiar face representing a new name on the Midlands corporate scene.

Nationally, he is managing director, banking, of Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander and in the Midlands he has launched the bank's regional operation in Colmore Row in the heart of Birmingham's financial community.

Opened with a fanfare in the spring, the former HBOS head in the Midlands made sure that Kaupthing would hit the ground running when he recruited deal makers like Paul Bassi, Richard Boot and John Crabtree to his regional board.

That they agreed so readily to join him in what was then a fledgling venture is testimony both to his reputation and the esteem in which he is held in corporate circles.
 He continues to be a Staffordshire resident but his roots are in Wigan and he brings a clear cut northern approach to business which has always been appreciated by clients and colleagues alike.

He attributes his success in business to strong family support both from his parents and his wife and two children.
 He displays a competitive spirit and a will to win but has an open management style and says he prefers to "keep the politics low and the opportunities high".
 His openness, honesty and straightforward views have also been useful in his roles with Birmingham Forward and Marketing Birmingham, and this year he chaired the judging panel for the Birmingham Young Professional of the Year awards.

He believes he is a businessman first and foremost, one who just happens to be in the business of banking, and is a vocal ambassador for Birmingham and the Midlands region in London and on the international scene.