Damien Druce brings over 10 years of experience to LendInvest having previously served as head of distribution and development at Crystal Specialist Finance and most recently as national development manager at Castle Trust.

In his new role, Damien will be responsible for considering bridging and development loan opportunities from Staffordshire up to the Scottish borders.

Matthew Tooth, chief commercial officer at LendInvest, said: “Damien is well known among mortgage brokers in the North of England, making him a fantastic addition to our team who can hit the ground running.

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“Local expertise is critical for a regional BDM, and we are confident that Damien is the man to spearhead our increased profile in the North.”

Damien initially expects to see most activity within Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Yorkshire as a result of the recent national infrastructure investment in these regions.

This latest addition represents LendInvest’s second official presence outside of London, following the appointment of Peter McDermid as BDM for Scotland in July.

Damien added: “I am delighted to be joining LendInvest at such an exciting time for the company.

“As confidence returns and some of the clouds of Brexit uncertainty clear, it is clear that there is a demand for fast and flexible bridging and development finance in the northern counties.”

Earlier this month, the firm celebrated completing its first two cases since entering the Scottish market.