Residential and commercial bridging lender Ortus Secured Finance has appointed Mel Howard as business development manager (BDM) for the Midlands.
He has spent the past 17 years at Lloyds Bank in various roles, most recently as relationship director, where he covered the Midlands region, and before that relationship manager.
In his role, he will work closely with brokers to support clients with bridging finance, and will help shape deals and work in a “fast-paced environment on the front line”.
The lender said that the appointment “reinforces Ortus’ commitment to providing exceptional service to its clients across the UK by using people with the local knowledge of the market to make decisions quickly”.
The firm has been growing its presence, making five internal promotions in London and Belfast last year.
Jon Salisbury, managing director of Ortus, said: “We are thrilled to have such an experienced commercial banker joining our team.
“The Midlands is a key region for us, and we are confident that Mel will make a significant contribution to our growth and success in the area. We look forward to working together and supporting businesses in the Midlands with their finance needs.”
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
