He will be based in the North West and support developers and advisers across the region and work with contacts nationwide.
Sweeney joins the firm from Goldentree Financial Services, where he worked for nearly a decade, starting as an administrative assistant and then becoming a business development manager (BDM).
The firm has also promoted Joseph Gibson to lending manager and made Andrew Dignum and Sarah Dix senior lending directors.
Abbie Mace will also take on the new role of operations and data analyst from 1 March 2026.
Neil Leitch, managing director for development finance at HTB, said: “These appointments and promotions reflect a very deliberate approach to how we build our development finance team. We focus on supporting experienced SME developers, and the brokers and property professionals who work alongside them, with certainty, regional understanding and pragmatic judgement.
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“Having the right experience involved early, and staying engaged as projects evolve, is critical. Strengthening the team in this way gives us the depth and continuity to support schemes through planning, delivery and exit, even when timelines shift, with the confidence that facilities agreed at the outset remain dependable.”
Sweeney added: “I am pleased to be joining HTB’s development finance team. What matters in this part of the market is applying sound judgement consistently as schemes move through delivery, particularly when circumstances change. The approach to staying closely engaged through that process was a big attraction for me, and I am looking forward to contributing to the team.”
HTB has been growing its development finance team recently, bringing on a trio of relationship managers.
