"They have also in recent years under Nigel’s leadership been trying to grow in the commercial mortgages lending market and in the less liquid areas of the market.
"I think in years to come he will be remembered as a successful chief executive."
Wilson is not departing immediately; he has agreed to stay with the firm for up to a year as his successor is sought.
In terms of what comes next for him, he declined the opportunity in 2022 to become a minister for trade in the UK government, but he remains a keen athlete and has won numerous trophies in that field.
In his retirement statement he said he is retiring from “executive life”, implying that he will not resurface as a chief executive anywhere else, but that non-executive directorships could be on his radar – a predictable end to a working career that often veered away from the mainstream.
David Thorpe is investment editor of FTAdviser
