Hodge has appointed Rob Ford (pictured) to its senior management team as its head of mortgage origination.
In his role, he will lead and develop the underwriting team at Hodge to ensure it “consistently makes responsible, efficient and flexible lending decisions to grow the mortgage book in accordance with the bank’s risk appetite”.
Ford joins from Principality Building Society, where he was head of underwriting, and has also held roles at the Bank of Ireland.
Dave Landen, CEO of Hodge, said: “It’s a real delight for us to welcome Rob to Hodge as an experienced underwriter with an extensive knowledge of the sector, both here in Wales and UK-wide too.
“I feel attracting someone of Rob’s calibre to Hodge is a real testament to how we are perceived in the market, as a lender that takes time to add the personal touch, and puts customer service at its core as we work hard to support our clients in the moments that matter.”
Ford added: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Hodge, a specialist lender supporting borrowers with complex needs and one that takes a reassuringly human approach in supporting its customers on a case-by-case basis, something that is becoming rarer in the market today.
“Having started my career as a building society cashier many moons ago, I’m keen to try and maintain a person-centred approach to everything I do, and it’s one of the many reasons I’m so excited to be working with Hodge.”
At the end of last month, the company enhanced its mortgage criteria across select ranges.
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.
