Illman has worked at UTB since 2012, starting as an underwriter in the bridging division, and was “instrumental” in creating the bridging internal sales team.
He was most recently key account manager for bridging, with experience in internal sales and underwriting allowing him to “provide quick lending decisions and insight supporting brokers with more complex cases”.
He will report to Andrew Ferguson, commercial director of mortgages, buy to let (BTL) and bridging.
Illman will lead the bridging sales team at UTB as it looks to develop its bridging proposition with technology and process enhancements that will deliver quicker and a more intuitive application to completion journey for brokers. This is looking to launch later this year.
The firm said it wanted to “grow its presence” in non-regulated bridging and “exploit opportunities to drive growth in business exiting refurbishment loans to buy-to-let mortgages”.
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Ferguson said: “2026 is going to be an exciting year for UTB bridging, with several transformative projects underway to improve service to brokers and increase our capacity for growth.
“I am delighted that Brad has stepped up to take on this new sales role, which will be pivotal in delivering the ambitious targets we’ve set ourselves. It’s always particularly pleasing to promote talent from within the bank.”
Illman added: “There’s a huge opportunity for UTB to build upon its reputation in the bridging market and to become the go-to lender for a wide variety of bridging solutions for property professionals and consumers.
“I’m looking forward to leading the sales team as we introduce new technology and processes, which will transform the way brokers transact with UTB, delivering much faster responses, faster completions and more successful outcomes for brokers and their clients.”
