The move comes after the small business lender says it has received more than £500m worth of loan enquiries since it set up in the region in November.
It has hired Chris Stevens, who joins from Acre Lane Capital and “is a specialist in bridging finance, bringing with him over two decades of experience” with such firms as RBS and Revverbank.
Stevens will focus on Manchester, along with fellow new business development manager, Michael Doxford, who joins from Aldermore Bank, having started his finance career at Manchester Building Society.
Jonathan Kirk completes the trio of new business development managers, joining from Assetz Capital, having previously worked at Aldermore Bank and Lloyds Bank. Recognise says Kirk is a commercial mortgage specialist and will focus on Yorkshire, where he will support small and medium-sized enterprises looking to buy their own premises as well as property investors.The lender says it has built a network of regional hubs across the UK, “to bring the personal relationships back to SME banking that have disappeared in recent years as mainstream banks centralise their operations”.It adds that its Manchester office in the North West will be at forefront of growth “as the UK opens up after the pandemic, with smaller businesses helping to regrow the economy”.Recognise provides a range of lending, including commercial mortgages, bridging loans, private practice loans and working capital loans, adding that “professional buy-to-let mortgages will follow soon”.The bank also has hubs in London, Birmingham and Leeds, which it says is backed by the latest cloud-based technology to provide quick lending decisions and fast access to funds to small firms.Recognise Bank regional director, North West and Yorkshire, James Meigh says: “The North West is a thriving business community, full of ambitious businesses that just need the right advice and support to help them grow.”New business development manager Chris Stevens adds: “SMEs need trusted support, fast decisions and quick access to funding.“The reason I’ve joined Recognise is because it’s built its entire proposition to provide that, combining personal relationships with cutting-edge technology to ensure speed of delivery.”The lender plans to lend more than £1.5bn over the next five years, adding that it also intends to launch “both business and personal savings accounts later this year”.
