SDKA appoints head of underwriting as lender marks decade in short-term finance

Short-term specialist finance lender SDKA has made three internal promotions, with Alex Swan moving into the role of head of underwriting, as the business reports stable pre-tax profits of circa £3.3m for the financial year to March 2026.

Swan (pictured right) joined SDKA in May 2023 as an underwriter and has progressed through the business to a senior leadership position. In the role, he will oversee the underwriting function and contribute to the strategic direction of the lender.

Two further promotions follow within the underwriting team. Chris Simpson, who joined as an underwriter in March 2025, takes the senior underwriter position vacated by Swan. Josh Draper, who joined as a graduate underwriter in December 2024, moves up to underwriter. Sharon Penter, who joined as administrator in September 2024 and has seen her responsibilities expand since, takes the title of operations manager.

The appointments follow a year SDKA describes as successful despite difficult market conditions. Pre-tax profits held at circa £3.3m for the 12 months to March 2026, with loans ranging from £28,000 to £2.275m and averaging £258,000 per transaction. The lender's product mix across the period was 40% residential, 30% semi-commercial and 30% commercial.

April brought the lender's tenth anniversary, marked by an event for more than 250 VIP guests held under the wings of Concorde. Attendees raised over £9,000 for Seashell Trust, which supports young people with learning disabilities across the UK.

The same month, long-term funding partners Shawbrook Bank and Aldermore Bank renewed their combined multi-million-pound funding lines with SDKA. The renewals are intended to provide greater flexibility for cases outside standard criteria and to support new product launches, including Bridge To Term.

Kunal Mehta, managing director of SDKA (pictured left), said: "As always, we look ahead and plan for growth, and to be in the best possible position to meet our targets, we need the best people and a widening remit of competitive short-term finance products.

"Alex, Chris, Josh and Sharon have played a pivotal role in our growth over the last few years, and their progression reflects the strength of our team. Their experience and expertise will be invaluable as SDKA continues to grow and evolve."