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Challenger bank recruits three new directors




OakNorth Bank has announced the appointment of three new directors ahead of an expected £500m increase to its loan book in 2017.

Georgy Naydenov and Stuart Blair both join the bank’s London office as debt finance directors, having previously served at NIBC Bank and Williams & Glyn respectively.

David Webley also joins as credit director following stints at Santander and Barclays.

The appointments coincided with the revelation that OakNorth has £500m of deals in the pipeline for 2017, which it claims will result in a further £2bn being added to the UK economy this year.

Ben Barbanel, head of debt finance at OakNorth, said: “At OakNorth, we aim to be dramatically different to any other provider in the market, taking a 10x approach, which has enabled us to achieve all that we have so far.

“We have built our lending team around this proposition, recruiting only those who share our entrepreneurial drive, ambition and belief that the current system isn’t working for entrepreneurs and can be massively improved.

“Georgy, Stuart and David all meet these criteria down to a tee and bring a wealth of experience to the team that will help us achieve our ambitious goals for 2017.”

Since launching in September 2015, OakNorth has grown its loan book to some £300m.

These loans have directly contributed to the creation of 2,000 new jobs and 1,200 homes in the UK, adding over £1bn to the UK economy.

High-profile deals include a £20m loan to golf and leisure complex Whittlebury Park, and a £19m loan to fast-food chain LEON.

OakNorth’s total headcount now stands at 110, although the bank expects to make a number of additional appointments throughout the year.

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