Recognise Bank has appointed Luke Watson as director of intermediary sales and lending.

Watson brings more than 20 years of experience across commercial real estate lending, underwriting, and credit risk.

His expertise spans commercial investment, bridging, and buy-to-let lending, underpinned by deep technical knowledge and a pragmatic, relationship-led approach to credit.

Prior to joining Recognise Bank, Watson held senior leadership roles at Shawbrook Bank and Amicus Commercial Mortgages, where he played a key role in scaling lending operations, strengthening credit frameworks, and driving strategic change.

He has also held real estate lending roles at Aldermore and Santander.

At Recognise Bank, Watson will focus on strengthening intermediary relationships.

Commenting on his appointment, Watson says: “I’m delighted to be joining Recognise Bank and to be working with such a strong team at an exciting point in the bank’s journey.”

“Throughout my career, I’ve always enjoyed building teams, developing people, and working closely with brokers to get deals done the right way. Recognise has a great platform to do that, combining solid credit fundamentals with a flexible, relationship-led approach.”

“I’m really looking forward to getting started, meeting our intermediary partners and helping to drive the next phase of growth.”