Glenhawk makes two new appointments

Andrew Townsend joins the senior management team with responsibility for devising and implementing the Group’s financial strategy. Andrew brings over 35 years’ experience in finance, treasury, risk & compliance and client facing & support function operations in the FCA regulated financial services/banking sector, with particular specialisation in mortgage and consumer finance lending. He was most recently Chief Financial Officer at DSG Group’s lending division, Unity Auto Finance, where he oversaw the expansion of DSG Group’s activities into auto finance lending.

Ryan Benton joins Glenhawk from Close Brothers, where he was Senior Finance Business Partner for the £110 million turnover Property Finance division. Ryan will support Andrew, overseeing the day-to-day operational Finance function. Ryan is a highly experienced finance executive, having previously held senior roles at Aldermore Bank and Legal & General Investment Management.

Guy Harrington, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

“Despite the market volatility caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, we have continued to maintain our upward loan book growth trajectory, reflecting both the strength of our offering and the ongoing appeal of real estate as an asset class. Andrew and Ryan, two highly experienced finance professionals, join us a critical juncture, giving us important capabilities as we move closer to delivering on our product expansion plans, putting to work the funds secured via the JP Morgan line.

"Whilst we remain highly disciplined in our lending strategy and vigilant to the impact of further economic distress, we have seen a significant uptick in borrower enquiries in recent weeks, as the market stabilises and with the stamp duty holiday energising the residential sector. Longer-term, the continued retrenchment of traditional financing sources and paucity of suitable products for borrowers gives us huge confidence moving forward.”