Butler has more than 20 years of banking experience across retail and commercial finance, including 19 years at Yorkshire Bank. He was most recently at Yorkshire Building Society, where he was relationship director and commercial director, supporting intermediaries.
At Redwood Bank, Butler will focus on developing broker relationships in the North East and Yorkshire, in line with Redwood Bank’s growth plans.
Butler (pictured) said: “Redwood has exciting growth plans and a real appetite to do more in the commercial space. I was impressed with the structure and flexibility they offer to support brokers in the specialist lending space, with strong credit and underwriting backing their lending strategy.
“What stood out to me was Redwood’s willingness to continue evolving its proposition in response to broker and customer needs. From extended commercial interest-only terms and revised affordability metrics, through to increased portfolio lending limits, the bank is creating greater flexibility and better outcomes for brokers and their clients.”
Butler said strong relationships would remain central to his role, adding: “This job is all about relationships, meeting people, building trust and delivering on what you say you’re going to do.”
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He said he was drawn to Redwood Bank because of its growth strategy and investment in its lending capabilities.
Butler added: “What excites me most is getting out there, raising awareness of Redwood, meeting new brokers and doing business I haven’t been able to do before. Redwood’s flexibility and broad product range mean we can support a wider variety of deals across different parts of the market.”
He also said of the lender’s culture: “It feels like a family organisation. It really does seem like everybody gets on with everybody and it’s a community, a real family.”
Gary Wilkinson, CEO and co-founder of Redwood Bank, said: “Chris’ appointment reflects the pace of our growth and our ambition to continue building a stronger presence across key regional markets. As demand for specialist lending increases, we are investing in experienced, broker-focused talent to help us scale in a disciplined and sustainable way.
“Chris brings deep market knowledge and long-standing broker relationships, which will be instrumental as we expand our lending activity across the North East and Yorkshire. His appointment strengthens our ability to support more brokers and customers, complete more deals, and deliver against our growth plans for 2026 and beyond.
“We are continuing to evolve our proposition and broaden our reach, and people like Chris are central to that journey. His experience and approach align perfectly with our focus on building a responsive, relationship led bank that is well-positioned for the future.”
In April, the bank promoted Rhia Botha to chief treasury officer.
