United Trust Bank has appointed Nikki Brett to the newly created position of head of underwriting for the bridging division.

Brett brings a wealth of experience in bridging and specialist lending with a career spanning 30 years. She has worked with lenders, including Shawbrook Bank and Borro, as well as founding specialist finance consultancy Liquidity Central.

Most recently Brett was head of operations for Development Finance at Hampshire Trust Bank.

The lender says the appointment supports its plans for continued expansion of its bridging operations.

Brett and recently appointed head of sales, Owen Bentley report to UTB’s director – bridging, Gavin Diamond.

Diamond says: “2021 was a successful year for UTB’s Bridging business, which has continued to transact record levels of new lending, despite the additional challenges and uncertainty created by the ongoing pandemic.

 “Nikki brings considerable experience to the team and fills a key role as we continue to grow. Our commitment to employing skilled and knowledgeable people alongside the implementation of technology to accelerate and simplify broker and customer journeys is cementing our position as a go to lender for brokers with a wide variety of Bridging requirements.”