Second Charge Lending
West One Loans makes hire and promotion to back residential and second charge growth
Specialist lender West One Loans has hired a regional account manager as it looks to grow its residential and second charge market share.
West One Loans has brought on Helen Merrey to cover the North East, Yorkshire and Scotland regions. Part of her role will include growing the lender’s residential and second charge presence in Scotland.
Merrey joins from Scottish Building Society, where she was a business development manager (BDM) for around two years.
Prior to that, she worked at Furness Building Society as a BDM for around a-year-and-a-half, and before that, she worked at Leeds Building Society and Virgin Money in BDM roles.
The firm has promoted Kayleigh Tuvey from a telephone BDM for buy-to-let (BTL) and bridging to the role of telephone business development sales manager for residential.
Tuvey has worked with the firm since 2022, and before that, she was an insurance consultant at A-Plan Insurance.
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In an interview with Specialist Lending Solutions earlier this year, Marie Grundy, managing director of residential mortgage and second charges at West One Loans, said that it was embarking on a “major recruitment drive and restructuring its residential and second charge divisions with the aim of growing its market share in both areas.”
Paul Huxter, head of intermediary sales and distribution at West One Loans, said: “Helen has a wealth of experience in the intermediary market and is someone who has the skills and personality to make a real difference to our business right from the off. So, we’re delighted to have her onboard.
“I’m also thrilled for Kayleigh, who has proven that she has the knowledge, dedication and talent to make the step up to internal sales manager. I have no doubt she will be excellent in her new role.”
He added: “This is an exciting time for West One. We have enhanced the product offering this year to include LTI boost, shared ownership, Right to Buy and lending in Scotland, with more exciting product and criteria announcements to come in the near term.
“Since launching into the residential market in 2022, we have been able to see what parts of our proposition work and what needs to be done to kick on to the next level – and that’s what we’re doing now.
“We want to be the first name on brokers’ lips when they are looking for a specialist residential or second charge loan, and we are putting a lot of time, money and resources into making sure that happens.”