In his role as project lead, Brett will work with brokers to “identify opportunities to help clients whose needs are not met by existing propositions” and partner with lenders to “develop products” under the Private Label brand to “directly target these areas of demand”.
He has over 30 years’ experience in the industry and was most recently managing director for intermediaries at Landbay for around seven years. After leaving Landbay, he went on to set up his own mortgage consultancy.
Before that, he was director of business development at Paratus MC and Foundation Home Loans, where he was part of the team that brought Foundation Home Loans to the broker market.
He has also held senior roles at MSL, Borro, Fastcom Mortgage Packaging and Yorkshire Building Society, to name a few.
Private Label was founded by Stephen Knight, Barry Searle, Jeff Knight, Simon Knight and Godfrey Blight and worked with a number of smaller, centralised lenders to design mortgage products in the late 1980s.
The firm was then sold to General Motors and became GMAC-RFC. However, after the financial crisis, it was transferred into Paratus AMC.
Brightstar bought the website and registered the company around eight years ago, with plans to launch when there was a “lack of innovation in the market”, but needed someone with an extensive lending background to lead it, a spokesperson said.
‘A new chapter’
Brett said: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to reintroduce the Private Label brand to the intermediary mortgage market. This is where we get to innovate and offer something truly distinctive. The relaunch of Private Label demonstrates a real commitment to crafting solutions that address the nuanced needs of today’s market.”
“Over the coming weeks, I’ll be holding workshops with brokers, who are the lifeblood of our industry, to find out what they actually need and what their frustrations are. I’ll then provide a direct mouthpiece into lenders to design and deliver products that truly meet client demand under the Private Label brand.
“And, of course, as an intermediary proposition, Private Label will always champion the needs of our broker partners. It’s not just a revival; it’s a new chapter.”
Bradley Moore, managing director of Brightstar Financial and deputy CEO of the Brightstar Group, added: “This is an important step in the next stage of the evolution of the Brightstar Group. Private Label is a brand with a rich heritage and a huge opportunity to once again make a valuable difference in the intermediary market.
“Paul’s knowledge and experience are unrivalled, and he has an impressive track record of bringing brands and lending propositions to the market. It’s a powerful combination, and we’re very excited about what the future holds.”
