Afin Bank has appointed Debbie Lavender and John Smith as two senior business development managers (BDMs) as the specialist lender focusses on growing its sales team in 2026.

Lavender joins Afin from Partners Wealth Management, where she was a specialist mortgage broker, and will look after the Midlands and the North.

She was previously an advisor with major banks including NatWest, Lloyds and Santander, as well as a wealth advisor, and says her customer facing expertise will be invaluable at Afin.

Smith comes from Molo, the digital lender, and will be responsible for the South.

He has previously worked with lenders including The Co-operative Banking Group and had roles with specialist lenders Bluestone and Masthaven Bank when they were launching.

Both bring with them experience in mortgages and financial services, including with some of Afin Bank’s main specialisms of mortgages for foreign nationals and high-net worth-borrowers.

Afin Bank chief executive Jason Oakley says: “Interest in Afin has been incredible, and we are only six months into our journey, but we are ambitious and want to help more customers.”

“Having people of the calibre of Debbie and John means we can work with even more brokers and help more underserved borrowers get the mortgages they deserve.”