Skip to content
Origin Story w/ David McIntosh JrOrigin Story w/ David McIntosh Jr

Ex-Banking CEO (RBS and Tesco Bank): Benny Higgins on Power, Money, Art & What Really Matters

Benny Higgins grew up in Toryglen tower blocks, captained Celtic’s youth team, and became a defining force in modern Scottish business — from RBS during the NatWest takeover, to building Tesco Bank from the ground up. But what makes Benny different is the paradox: a numbers man with a lifelong devotion to poetry, art, and culture — and a Glaswegian accent that never moved an inch. We recorded this in Kelvingrove Art Gallery, a place that shaped Benny as a 10-year-old at his first ever art competition — and still represents the thread running through his life: curiosity, pride, and the desire to win. We get into Celtic, class, and leadership… the reality of boardrooms at scale… why he hires through trust over “perfect CVs”… and the stories you genuinely couldn’t script: Maya Angelou, the Golden Globes, Soho, and a cocktail named after his fifth wife Sharon In this episode Why Kelvingrove is symbolic to Benny’s origin story Toryglen tower blocks: toughness, community, and confidence through football Celtic youth captaincy and the first leadership lessons that stuck “I just wanted to win”: the mindset behind academic dominance Actuarial exams in 2.5 years (when the average was ~7) RBS context + how the NatWest hostile takeover happened Building Tesco Bank from scratch: 140 people → 5,000 → 8m customers Hiring “the best people I knew” and why trust beats process Social mobility: money, identity, and why he treats everyone the same Soho stories: tailors, members clubs, and the “Higgins No.5” cocktail The Golden Globes: Jon Hamm photo… taken by Bradley Cooper Lunch with Maya Angelou: poetry, Burns, and an unforgettable moment What people think is true about him (but isn’t) What’s next — and the ambition that still drives him Sponsor - Slater Menswear (Made To Order) Quick shoutout to Slater Menswear’s Made To Order service — they’ve been part of some of the biggest moments in my own origin story: first job interview suit, first corporate role, big talks, and now sitting across from guests I genuinely admire. They measure you properly, you choose every detail, and you get a suit that actually feels like it fits the life you’re stepping into. If you’ve got a moment coming up — wedding, promotion, graduation, or a first interview — check out Slaters Made To Order. It’s a belter.

David McIntosh JrhostBenny Higginsguest
Dec 20, 20251h 13mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Benny Higgins on roots, leadership, culture, ambition, and identity enduring

  1. Higgins describes growing up in Toryglen’s tower blocks as tough but loving, and credits school, football, and pride in learning for building confidence and determination.
  2. He explains how sport and the arts both trained his leadership style—teamwork, presence, rhythm, form—and argues society falsely separates humanities from maths and science.
  3. He traces a career from rapid actuarial qualification to major roles at RBS (including the NatWest hostile takeover integration) and building Tesco Bank from scratch to millions of customers.
  4. He emphasizes leadership as relationship-based and experience-driven, repeatedly hiring trusted, known talent over “perfect” CVs and preparing intensely even when he appears relaxed.
  5. The conversation returns to identity and meaning: staying rooted (accent, treating everyone the same), feeding curiosity through books and culture, and prioritizing self-respect over external approval.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Early environments can be harsh without being destiny-defining.

Higgins calls the tower-block “experiment” a mistake but credits loving parents, strong schools, and football for giving him stability and confidence despite a tough community context.

Leadership lessons often arrive before formal management roles.

Captaining Celtic youth teams and living inside competitive sport taught him credibility, presence, and team dynamics—skills later validated in leadership assessments.

Stop treating arts and sciences as opposites; they reinforce each other.

He links maths to poetry, art, and music through shape, rhythm, and form, arguing the real advantage is seeing connectedness across domains.

Competitiveness can be fuel—if paired with deliberate choices about the future.

He pursued actuarial exams largely because they were respected and hard, then finished in 2.5 years to distinguish himself rather than drift in a seven-year norm.

The “thing you prepare for that doesn’t happen” can enable what does.

RBS’s rehearsal for a Barclays bid built the muscle memory and readiness that helped when NatWest became the real contest.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

I travel with the indelible mark of being a Glaswegian, and Kelvingrove in some ways brings together not all of the elements, but some of the important elements of my story.

— Benny Higgins

Don't underestimate the power of sport in how you think about leadership.

— Benny Higgins

Let's never c- c- confuse intelligence with education. Um, intelligent people might not be educated, and educated pe- might n- might not be that intelligent.

— Benny Higgins

Just me. Yeah. No, that's definitely the only... I, I have no... If I can make my... If I can be proud of my own actions, um, everybody else can make their own mind up.

— Benny Higgins

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

— Benny Higgins

Toryglen upbringing and social mobilityFootball at Celtic and early leadershipArts, literature, poetry, and curiosityActuarial path and competitivenessRBS/NatWest takeover and integration scaleBuilding Tesco Bank from zero capabilitiesIdentity, accent, and treating people equally

High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.

Get more out of YouTube videos.

High quality summaries for YouTube videos. Accurate transcripts to search & find moments. Powered by ChatGPT & Claude AI.

iOSAndroidClaudeChrome