The firm says Eastgate’s immediate focus will be to “optimise the company’s product mix to ensure offerings are competitive, differentiated, and keenly aligned with borrower needs.  

“He will also be instrumental in deepening engagement with brokers, boosting customer retention, and managing acquisition costs to improve marketing efficiency and long-term value.” 

The lender adds, that over the coming year Eastgate “will collaborate closely with teams across pricing, marketing, distribution and operations to fuel lending growth through improved proposition design and disciplined pricing strategies”. 

It adds: “He will champion the adoption of artificial intelligence-powered systems and data analytics to streamline underwriting and servicing workflows and reduce decision-to-drawdown times. 

“Concurrently, he will support initiatives aimed at increasing repeat business and enhancing the borrower experience, crucial for growing profitability in the 2025 to 2026 full year.” 

Eastgate has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, with his previous role at Redwood Bank, where he was also chief commercial officer. 

He has previously held senior roles at The Nottingham, Shawbrook Bank and OSB Group. 

LendInvest chief executive Rod Lockart says: “John’s expertise will be crucial in accelerating our strategic objectives of lending growth, enhancing our operational efficiency, and driving our profitability.

“John’s leadership will impact our product mix, deepening broker relationships and leveraging innovations in artificial intelligence and data to streamline our operations.” 

Eastgate adds: “I bring to the role the experience of having navigated the same challenging market dynamics and growth opportunities that LendInvest can see now.”