MEMO FROM THE FUTURE: LLOYDS BANKING
CEO Edition
BOARD STRATEGY SESSION June 2030
TO: Lloyds Banking Board of Directors
FROM: Charlie Nunn, CEO
DATE: June 2030
SUBJECT: Managing UK Mortgage Portfolio Risk and AI-Powered Operational Efficiency
OPENING
Lloyds has £180 billion in mortgages—the largest mortgage book in the UK. With rising interest rates, house prices declining, and unemployment rising, our mortgage portfolio is increasingly stressed.
AI helps us manage this risk: better credit modeling, early identification of stressed customers, predictive default prevention. This memo proposes aggressive deployment of AI across the mortgage portfolio and retail banking operations.
THE REALITY
Current state: - Mortgages: £180 billion (core business) - Credit losses: Rising (from 0.12% to 0.35% in one year) - House prices: Down 8% from peak - Unemployment: 4.5% (rising from 3.8%) - Branches: 1,100 (declining profitability) - Digital adoption: 65% of customers
Opportunity: - AI can identify stressed borrowers 6-12 months early, enabling intervention - AI can improve underwriting and prevent new bad loans - AI can reduce operational costs 25-30% via branch closures and automation
WHERE WE ARE
Today: - £180B mortgage portfolio (core business) - Retail deposits: £200B - Operating margin: 18% - Dividend yield: 5%
The challenge: Mortgage losses are rising. We need to manage this carefully while the portfolio reprices (as mortgages renew at higher rates, some borrowers default).
THE OPPORTUNITY
Opportunity 1: AI-Powered Mortgage Risk Management
The play: Use AI to identify stressed borrowers, enable early intervention, reduce defaults.
How: - Analyze borrower financials, employment, spending patterns, macroeconomic trends - Predict default risk 6-12 months in advance - Enable early intervention (forbearance, refinancing, restructuring) - Reduce expected losses 20-30%
Estimated impact: - Reduce credit losses by £400-600 million annually - Improve ROA and ROE significantly - Reduce regulatory capital requirements (lower risk = less capital needed)
Timeline: 12-18 months to deploy
Opportunity 2: Operational Efficiency via AI and Branch Rationalization
The play: Use AI to improve operations and close unprofitable branches, reducing costs 25-30%.
How: - Deploy AI for customer service, underwriting, compliance, fraud detection - Close 300-400 unprofitable branches (out of 1,100) - Shift customers to digital and optimized branches - Reduce headcount 15,000-20,000
Estimated impact: - Operating cost reduction: £3-4 billion annually - Improve operating margin from 18% to 22-24%
Timeline: 3-4 years
Opportunity 3: Digital Banking Leadership
The play: Build world-class digital banking experience to retain and acquire customers in competitive market.
How: - Deploy AI-powered digital banking (personalized recommendations, smart budgeting, investment advice) - Build wealth management into retail bank (high-margin business) - Use digital to drive customer stickiness and cross-sell
Estimated impact: - Increase customer lifetime value 20-30% - Maintain market share despite fintech competition - Improve profitability on retained customer base
Timeline: 18-24 months
MY RECOMMENDATION
Pursue risk management as immediate priority, operational efficiency in parallel, digital leadership as longer-term investment.
EXECUTION PLAN
Phase 1: Mortgage Risk Management (2030-2032)
- Deploy AI across mortgage portfolio
- Reduce defaults and credit losses
- Regulatory capital relief
Phase 2: Operational Efficiency (2030-2034)
- Close unprofitable branches
- Reduce operating costs
- Improve profitability
Phase 3: Digital Banking (2031-2035)
- Build digital capabilities
- Grow wealth management
- Maintain customer relationships
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
By 2035:
- Mortgages: £170-180 billion (stable, with improved credit quality)
- Revenue: £13-14 billion
- Operating margin: 22-24% (up from 18% today)
- ROE: 12-14% (up from 8% today)
- Dividend: Sustainable at 5-6% yield
Stock target: £2.20-2.50 by 2035 (from £1.60 today).
Charlie
Confidential — Board of Directors Only