Meet Tippie Malgwi, head of high-net-worth (HNW) and diaspora banking at Afin Bank, who wants to create a legacy of making the mortgage market more accessible.
What is your name and role?
I am Tippie Malgwi, and I am the head of HNW and diaspora banking at Afin Bank, a bank specialising in complex mortgages for underserved customers like people from diaspora communities living and working in the UK, the self-employed and high-net-worth (HNW) borrowers.
How long have you been in this role?
I have been at Afin Bank since we launched in July 2025, and I have spearheaded the development and growth of the bank’s flagship diaspora mortgages and HNW propositions.
Our diaspora mortgages support lending to foreign nationals working in the UK on a valid work visa, helping them to navigate mortgage hurdles such as the length of their visa or a lack of deep UK credit history.
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Afin’s HNW proposition provides mortgage options tailored to “asset rich, income light” wealthy borrowers. All of our mortgages have been designed to help borrowers who struggle because of the tick-box approach of mainstream lenders.
How long have you worked in financial services and what was your first job?
I have over 17 years of banking, lending and wealth management experience within the UK and in Africa. My career spans specialist lending, HNW banking and financial planning, working with brokers, client advisers and directly with clients.
My first job in financial services was as a customer accounts officer with Guaranty Trust Bank in Nigeria before I moved to the UK. I was recognised by the Africa Business Chamber (AfBC) as one of the Top 100 African Business professionals in the UK in 2024. I was also awarded the Chartered Bankers Institute UK Young Banker of the Year in 2020 for my award-winning proposal focused on creating a financial solution for vulnerable individuals living with life-changing conditions.
How do you try to do good for your community through your work?
I am passionate about financial empowerment and supporting underserved segments of the diaspora community in the UK, which is what originally drew me to Afin Bank even before it had fully launched.
The bank found that nearly nine out of 10 people from the African diaspora had been turned down for a mortgage because of reasons related to their nationality, such as their visa status or thin UK credit history.
That was a similar experience to many of my friends and contacts living in the UK. Highly qualified people, with good earning potential, such as doctors and healthcare workers, IT specialists and other professionals, struggled to get information about suitable mortgages, let alone secure a loan.
So, in addition to my work with brokers, I spend a lot of my free time speaking at community groups, events or webinars for foreign nationals and diaspora communities, such as for NHS workers and the (AfBC), or networking with some of the African High Commissions and embassies supporting business ties with the UK.
These are all people contributing to the UK economy and they want to put down roots, but it can be difficult for them to get on the housing ladder. For me it is both a personal and professional mission to help them.
What does community mean to you both within and outside of the Black community?
My favourite African proverb is “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together”. This highlights that long-term success, resilience and bigger achievements require cooperation, fellowship and community support.
I am part of and actively support diaspora community groups like the Africa Business Chamber, whose mission is to support African businesses to grow and thrive in the UK economy, and AFROSOCIAL, a creative and professional networking community for young black professionals across England and Scotland.
Afin is also a diverse business, attracting people from diaspora communities, so I enjoy working in an organisation that actively promotes diversity and has a real sense of community. This ensures that we have a better understanding of the customers we want to help.
We’re building a legacy at Afin – not just for the people we help to get a home of their own, but in the way we are seeking to change the mortgage industry, for it to be more inclusive and help borrowers who have different needs or more complex circumstances.
Who inspires you on a personal and professional level?
I have been fortunate to have worked with some exceptional bosses and mentors within the industry – from my time at RBS to Aldermore Bank to Arbuthnot Latham and now at Afin Bank, too numerous to mention.
I have stood on the shoulders of giants, individuals who have pioneered and championed financial innovation and inclusion and have advocated for me in rooms where I wasn’t present.
I remain grateful and inspired by these individuals and those opportunities presented to me, shaped by their advocacy. I carry that torch with pride as we collectively better our industry.
How do you hope to inspire others?
I believe that I have a duty. Banks and, by extension, bankers, have great power – but with that power comes responsibility. I want to help borrowers, who may feel ignored, and I want to inspire the people I work with.
I believe it is our collective responsibility, as frontline representatives, to actively champion positive societal change, and being in a bank like Afin Bank enables me to do that.
