YBS, Reward, STB and Visionary Finance announce senior appointments




Yorkshire Building Society (YBS), Reward Finance, Secure Trust Bank (STB) and Visionary Finance have bolstered their teams.

YBS

YBS has appointed Stephen White as interim CEO, subject to regulatory approval.

He will replace Mike Regnier, who is set to leave the company at the end of the year.

Stephen — who is currently the COO at the firm — has over 25 years of experience in financial services across the UK, Ireland and Australia, and has been with the society for almost six years.

“As Interim CEO, I look forward to working with my very talented colleagues to maintain momentum, and to continue to deliver our purpose of providing real help with real life,” said Stephen.

Mike commented: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at YBS and it has been a great privilege to have been CEO. 

“I was very proud to lead an outstanding and talented group of colleagues who always, and especially during the pandemic, put members first.

“I feel that now is the right time for me to take on a different challenge and leave the society in excellent shape for my successor to take the company on the next phase of its journey.”

John Heaps, chairman at YBS, stated: “I would like to thank Mike for his outstanding contribution to the society over the last seven years. 

“He has led YBS superbly through a period of significant challenge, as we have addressed both the transformation to a more digitised world and the complexities of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Our performance this year, including the results at the half year — showing strong growth in both mortgages and savings, strong profitability and over £40m of additional value passed back to our members — is a proper reflection of how well the executive has performed under Mike’s leadership.”

“I am pleased that Stephen, who is currently our COO, will take over as interim CEO; he will ensure we continue to help real life happen for our members and build on the society’s success of over 155 years.

“We are working with external executive search partners to find a permanent successor to Mike and anticipate there will be a number of very strong candidates.”

Reward Finance

Reward Finance has appointed Simon Adcock as a business development director to head up the firm’s new London office.

In his new role, Simon — who has over 25 years of experience working in the finance sector — will be establishing Reward Finance’s presence across London and the South East.

Commenting on his appointment, Simon said: “I have admired the way Reward Finance does business, as it brings a refreshing approach to the sector. 

“It understands that when SMEs want working capital to grow or get through a short-term problem, they need a lender which is on their side and can understand their business needs. 

“I am looking forward to spreading the word in London and the South East about its flexible and creative approach to funding.”

Nick Smith, group managing director at Reward Finance, added: “The success of our ambitious expansion is dependant in attracting the right calibre of people to the business, and we were therefore delighted when Simon agreed to join us.

“Having worked with him before, I know he is a perfect fit for Reward Finance in terms of his approach, in-depth knowledge and experience of the asset-based lending market, and the respect he has gained over the years from his large network of introducers in London and the South East.”

STB

The real estate finance division of STB has promoted Matthew-Blaine Young and Chris Daly to head of originations for London and the South East, and Midlands and the South, respectively.

The pair will lead newly formed deal origination teams in their respective regions to drive growth across all areas of the bank’s real estate finance business.

Geoff Ray, managing director of the real estate finance division at STB, said: “Despite the challenges faced over the past 18 months, the real estate finance team recorded a strong financial performance, seeing revenues increase by 10.4% to £54m and its balance sheet exceed £1bn for the first time in its history, with year-on-year growth of 9.3%. 

“Our focus in 2022 will be to build on this further and the appointment of Matthew and Chris to lead our deal origination teams in London and the South East, and Midlands and South, will help achieve this.”

Visionary Finance 

Visionary Finance has appointed Neill Henderson as head of operations.

Neill has over 20 years of experience in property and financial services, with expertise in mortgage and protection advice, training and development, sales management within residential, lettings and new homes environments, supervision within a regulated arenas, and operational management.

He joins the company from The Melton Building Society, where he was the head of mortgage operations.

Commenting on his appointment, Neill said: “I am really excited at the prospect of working with the team at Visionary Finance and its business partners. 

“It is a fantastic time to join the team, having achieved such high levels of service to both customers and partners alike. 

“I am looking forward to helping my colleagues and partners achieve their personal, professional goals and ambitions, while continuing to deliver great customer outcomes.”

Hiten Ganatra, managing director at Visionary Finance, added: “We are delighted to welcome Neill as head of operations. 

“He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience from his well-established career in the property and financial services sector. 

“Neill will be a great asset in helping us achieve our goals and ambitions, harnessing future opportunities and powering growth.”

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