Richardson has been with Fleet since its launch in 2014 and has played a central role in building and scaling the business from the outset.

Joining initially as head of finance, she established the lender’s finance function and has since progressed through a number of senior roles including finance director, chief financial officer, and most recently chief finance and operating officer.

Richardson has over 14 years’ financial services experience. She qualified as a chartered accountant (ACA) and holds the AMCT qualification which she obtained during a treasury role at CHL Mortgages.

In her role as managing director, Richardson will take responsibility for the overall leadership, performance and strategic direction of Fleet Mortgages.

She will oversee all core areas of the business, ensuring it continues to grow in a controlled and sustainable way while maintaining a strong focus on underwriting, service and broker support.

Fleet Mortgages managing director Nicola Richardson says: “I’m very pleased to be taking on the role of Managing Director at Fleet, having been part of the business since it was established nearly 12 years ago.”

“Over that time, I’ve had the opportunity to work across a number of areas and help build Fleet into the strong position it holds today, which gives me a clear understanding of both how we operate and where I would like to take the business next.”

“Our focus now is on continuing to evolve Fleet in a way that strengthens our proposition, supports our intermediary partners and meets the needs of landlord borrowers.”

“That means investing further in our technology to improve efficiency and user experience, keeping our criteria and product range relevant and competitive, and maintaining a high-quality service proposition throughout the application process.”