Hampshire Trust Bank has promoted Greg Barnard to head of field underwriting and appointed Ceri Blackwell as head of new business.

In the newly-created role, Barnard will build a team based in the offices of key broker partners to provide support for complex cases.

He has a strong background in the sector and was named Underwriter of the Year 2021 at the British Specialist Lending Awards.

Blackwell joins HTB from Foundation Home Loans, where she was head of underwriting. 

In her new role, she will lead the lending management team which has recently welcomed four new recruits, providing brokers with support in packaging and processing applications.

Barnard says: “HTB has established a fantastic reputation for setting the bar in customer service and embracing complex cases that other lenders do not have the experience or appetite to support. 

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to build a team of remote underwriters that will sit at the heart of the action on-site, providing immediate support for our broker clients, collaborating to find solutions, and delivering much greater speed and agility to get complex deals over the line.”

Blackwell says: “It’s refreshing to see what can be achieved with an empowered team that seamlessly connects underwriters, BDMs, brokers, and clients. 

“This collaboration allows us to assess and package deals quickly while providing consistent support and communication for our brokers at every stage of their cases.”