Jeffs joins the bank from a role as senior mortgage propositions manager at the Nottingham Building Society. Prior to that, she worked in roles with a product and risk focus across firms including HSBC, Coventry Building Society and Sainsbury’s Bank.
Jeffs will lead the development strategy for the firm’s lending and savings propositions. She will take responsibility for the strategy of lending products for the firm’s target customer base of borrowers who struggle to get loans from mainstream lenders because they do not meet rigid affordability and product criteria.
Alongside this, Jeffs will concentrate on the development of the firm’s savings proposition, considering a wider product range to attract and retain customers.
She will report to Charles Resnick, Afin Bank’s CFO, who takes on oversight of the bank’s lending and savings strategy and product roadmap.
Jeffs (pictured) commented: “I like the vision that Afin has; wanting to help customers that aren’t served by the high street lenders. There are still lots of people who find it hard to access lending, even if they are creditworthy, because they are not looked at as an individual by lenders.
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“This is an exciting challenge because Afin is still growing, so I can use my experience and insight to help shape the direction of travel. The mortgage and savings sectors are a crowded and competitive space, so Afin needs to stand out and show brokers, borrowers and savers why we are different and how we support them.”
Resnick added: “Having recently taken on overall responsibility for the bank’s product strategy, it was key that we hired someone with experience in the sector and philosophy of product innovation, as we grow the bank. Beth is a key strategic addition to our team, bringing an important focus on the development of mortgages and savings accounts that combine Afin’s technical ability and understanding of the marketplace to create products that customers want and need.
“Her experience of both the banking and mutual sectors is invaluable in helping us to balance our commercial objectives while ensuring we maintain our customer-first approach for people who are under-served in the UK.”
Last week, the firm joined the lender panel of Paradigm Mortgage Services.
