United Trust Bank’s mortgages and bridging MD to retire

The long-serving executive will step back from day-to-day responsibilities at the start of June and support the company’s chief commercial officer Mark Stokes for the remainder of the year alongside working on other projects.

Buster Tolfree, who is currently UTB’s commercial director, will take over the mortgages division, and fellow commercial director Gavin Diamond will manage the bank’s bridging division.

Owen joined the bank in 2015 when it launched and became managing director for mortgages and bridging in 2016. During his tenure he launched the firm’s second charge mortgage offering, followed by first charge products.

Before joining UTB he was chief executive for Central Trust for just under two years and before that worked at Al Rayan bank for nearly seven years.

Prior to that he was chief executive at White Label Lending for around two years and worked at Ateneo Finance in Madrid as director general for just over two years.

Owen founded London Mortgage Company in 2000, which he ran for around six years and before that held senior roles at Kensington Mortgages and Lloyds TSB.

He also holds a non-executive director position at Protection Products, which is a specialist insurer for building societies and consumer finance companies.

Owen (pictured) said: “I have been very fortunate in my career working with wonderfully talented people. No more so than at UTB. Graham Davin and Harley Kagan have built a tremendous success story based on the people ethic, with the focus always on teamwork and customer service.”

Owen will remain on the bank’s diversity and inclusion committee and work with the Finance & Leasing Association and Charted Banker Institute.