In her role, Mercer will be “focused on supporting the senior leadership team to deliver the strategy, develop the lending side, execute the product growth plans and deliver on the imminent launch of residential mortgages”.
She will work closely with both the sales team and intermediaries.
Mercer worked at Atom Bank for around eight years, initially joining as regional business development manager for around five years and then taking on the role of head of intermediary lending for residential and commercial lending for over three years.
During her time at Atom Bank, she helped set up the mortgage lending department and aided in the launch of its first digital mortgage.
Before that she worked as business development manager for Lloyds Banking Group for nearly seven years.
Sophie Mitchell-Charman, commercial director at LendInvest, said: “Paula’s reputation precedes her and I am thrilled to have her heading up the sales team here at LendInvest.
“With the launch of our exciting new proposition for residential mortgages and her strong and successful background from both Atom and Lloyds, she is going to be an integral part of our next chapter. Hires such as Paula’s support the ambitions of LendInvest as we continue to grow and innovate for our future.”
Mercer added: “There could not be a better time for me to join LendInvest. I am incredibly excited about the product changes and the constant innovation which is underpinned by their core value of Mortgages Made Simple and a strategy of driving long-term sustainable growth.
“LendInvest has a wonderful inclusive culture and this was a major attraction to me. I look forward to working with the Sales team and our Intermediary partners and building on an already successful model.”
LendInvest has been growing its team, recently appointing Harry Hall as director of fundraising, Sophie Mitchell-Charman as commercial director and Leanne Ardron as head of bridging in its commercial team.
The firm has also released a range of tracker mortgages and stepped bridging product, and raised £300m from Lloyds Bank which it said would be used to support entry into the homeowner mortgage market.
The firm also launched a residential homeowner product and says it plans to “ramp up its product rollout to intermediary partners”.
Matthew Tooth, who was chief commercial officer, also left the business at the tail end of last year.
Castling takes on Atom Bank’s head of intermediary distribution role
Meanwhile, David Castling has taken on the role of head of intermediary distribution at Atom, having previously held the role of head of customer services for around two years.
Castling has worked at the firm since 2016, initially joining as head of business development for retail mortgages for nearly four years and then taking on the the role of head of intermediary lending between 2019 and 2021.
Prior to Atom Bank, he worked as group head of sales at Benenden and before that was a business development director at Medibroker.
He has also held roles at Engage Mutual Assurance, National Friendly, Enterprise Finance and Natwest.
A spokesperson said that as he had been head of intermediary lending previously, it was an “area he knows well” and that he would be leading the intermediary business development function for residential and commercial lending.
