Leitch has taken on Upton’s previous role, which she held for two-and-a-half years. Upton has worked for HTB since 2018, when she joined as sales director, before moving to the role of commercial director.
During her time as managing director of development finance, Upton recruited more than 40 specialists, and the lender said she “transformed” the division.
Upton said: “I am proud to leave the development finance division in great shape – the new team is brimming with talent and capability.
“But I’m thrilled to be swapping my comfy steel toecaps for my blister-inducing heels as I return to my roots in specialist mortgages to take HTB’s biggest business to the next level. Close broker relationships and consistent, first-class service are the foundations of the division’s current and future strategy. No change there.”
Stepping into an ‘excellent’ position
Leitch was previously the commercial director within the development finance division, and he has worked for HTB for seven-and-a-half years.
He joined as director of property finance, then became head of lending within the development finance team.
Leitch (pictured) said: “I’m stepping in to lead a department that’s already in an excellent position. It’s been a pleasure working with Alex and I’m really looking forward to taking the helm in development finance as we continue to support a broad range of developers to build more much-needed homes across England and Wales.
“HTB is uniquely positioned to deliver genuinely joined-up life cycle lending across development finance, bridging and specialist mortgages.”
Charles McDowell, chief commercial officer of HTB, said of both appointments: “Talent is Hampshire Trust Bank’s currency. Alex and Neil’s commitment to the bank has been fundamental to our rapid growth, and their continued close collaboration will underpin Hampshire Trust Bank’s formula for success – to put both brokers and borrowers at the heart of everything we do.”
In February, HTB launched a flex tracker product for property investors.
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