Chetwood Bank has hired industry stalwart Richard Lawton to head up its new bridging proposition.

Lawton (pictured) has worked in the lending market for 30 years, with 17 of those spent in the bridging sector, including roles at Precise Mortgages and OSB Group.

He joins Chetwood Bank from Morpheus Lending where he was director of operations.

Under the title of director of bridging, Lawton will be responsible for launching and overseeing the bank’s bridging proposition, which will be available in the coming months.

The proposition will feature a flexible lending policy, with a focus on providing surety of funding to the bank’s introducers and their clients. The bank will be initially launching into the non-regulated residential sector.

Lawton says: “This is a really exciting opportunity which I just couldn’t turn down, having successfully launched bridging propositions with other lenders.

“Our goal is simple: to provide a five-star service to brokers and their clients, making the journey as seamless and as quick as possible for everyone involved.”

Chetwood Bank chief executive Paul Noble says: “We’re delighted to welcome someone of Richard’s calibre to the team. He has a proven track record of launching successful bridging propositions to market, so we’re thrilled to have him on board to further support the bank’s growth aspirations.”