Rod Lockhart has been promoted to CEO and joins the company’s board of directors. He joined LendInvest in 2015 and under his direction, the firm’s capital markets and fundraising activities have grown exponentially.

The company’s lending capital base has increased to £1.8 billion in the last four years, and Rod has personally overseen LendInvest’s £259 million RMBS securitisation (AAA-rated); as well as a number of large investments from investors such as HSBC, Citigroup, Nomura and National Australia Bank.

Rod has had a close working relationship with Christian Faes and his co-founder, Ian Thomas, even before joining LendInvest. Between 2013 and 2015, Rod acted as LendInvest’s external fund manager while working as a senior director at CBRE.

Christian Faes commented: “After 11 years my co-founder and I are extremely proud of what we’ve built. LendInvest is a powerhouse in UK fintech – a company that has raised almost £2 billion, has been consistently profitable, and has proven that it is a financially viable and sustainable business.

“The company is in an excellent position and no-one is better placed than Rod to take over day-to-day management of the business. This will allow me to focus on what I love doing as a founder and entrepreneur, which is the outward facing work for the company and working on our strategy and vision.

“LendInvest remains a founder-led business and I am still completely committed to building the leading mortgage lender in the UK. I’m looking forward to working closely with Rod, the wider team, and the board as we roll out the company’s long-term strategy.”

Rod Lockhart added: “I’m honoured to become CEO of LendInvest at such an exciting time in its growth. Under Christian’s leadership, LendInvest has become a powerhouse for UK fintech – one that is consistently profitable and able to demonstrate its sustainability, while investing in innovation and continually challenging outdated industry norms.”