He has over 20 years’ experience in financial services and has been in his current role at HSBC for over eight years. He has also worked at Countrywide, Lehman Brothers and Platform.
Beardshaw has been on the IMLA management committee since 2019.
Beardshaw will sit on the management committee alongside deputy chairs Nicola Goldie, Aldermore’s head of strategic partnerships and growth, and Paragon’s commercial director Louisa Sedgwick.
Jeremy Duncombe, current IMLA chair and Accord Mortgage’s director of intermediaries, and Andy Dean, Nationwide’s head of intermediary support and new build, will be elected directors.
OSB Group’s Adrian Moloney and Coventry Building Society’s Jonathan Stinton will be co-opted directors.
Kate Davies will continue in her role as executive director.
IMLA represents the interest of 53 mortgage lenders and 12 associated firms who are involved in generating mortgage business via professional financial intermediaries.
The committee oversees the trade body’s operations, manages its activities and represents IMLA at meetings with external stakeholders.
Kate Davies, executive director of IMLA, said: “Congratulations to Richard and to all those who have been either elected or co-opted, to those who are returning for a further year and those joining us for the first time. I greatly value their experience and willingness to give up their time to help me run the association. I look forward to working with them all in the coming year.
“I would like to thank those members who have worked on the committee and are now standing down, and also those who offered themselves for election. We had an exceptionally large and strong field of candidates this year, which indicates healthy support for and interest in IMLA’s activities on behalf of its members, which is much appreciated.
“My particular thanks go to Jeremy Duncombe who, having taken over as chair part-way through his predecessor’s two-year term, was then elected to serve for the next two full years. He has completed a long stint, and will continue to help IMLA as he remains on the management committee.”
Beardshaw added: “I’m absolutely delighted to take on the role of chair and on behalf of everyone at IMLA I’d like to thank Jeremy for his three years’ service as chair. I look forward to working with Kate and the directors to continue to support IMLA’s membership.”
