Proportunity has hired Paul Lewis as head of intermediary partnerships, with a remit to build brand awareness and boost sales.

London-based Proportunity Loans, founded in 2016, provides second-charge top-up loans to help buyers leverage larger lending deals. 

Lewis joins the firm from broker network The Money Group, where he was managing director for six months until the start of this month. Prior to that, he was head of intermediary sales at the Mansfield Building Society for two-and-a-half years.

Proportunity says Lewis will help develop its intermediary distribution strategy.

It adds, he will recruit and manage a team of business development managers “to raise awareness of Proportunity’s unique shared equity loan scheme and increase business volume”.

His role also includes liaising with lenders “to increase the number of main mortgage lender partners working alongside Proportunity”.

The firm says it plans to attract 2,000 customers over the next 18 months, which “opens a £500m to £700m lending volume opportunity for accompanying first-charge lenders”.

Proportunity co-founder and chief executive Vadim Toader says: “Our aim is to unlock the value of homeownership for everyone who wants it, helping one million homeowners by 2030. 

“Paul’s appointment is an important step to us achieving that goal. Paul is well known and well liked throughout the mortgage market; he has an excellent track record and will be instrumental in helping us work with the market to crack the problem of helping those who want to buy their own homes.”

Proportunity’s Lewis adds: “With the end of the Help to Buy scheme next year, Proportunity’s shared equity loan will become more vital than ever. 

“To help change the housing market to make it more accessible, while working closely with intermediaries and lender partners, is an opportunity that few people are lucky enough to ever come across in their careers.”