In a heartfelt post on Linkedin, Cottle said: “Having been away from the business for a few months helping my wife and being a constant presence for our young family at home, I’ve decided to make it a permanent fixture.
“Our eldest daughter has a limited lifespan, and as the clock ticks louder, I have come to understand that the currency of time is more valuable than anything.”
Cottle also gave thanks to Barney Drake, co-founder of Specialist Mortgage Group and Benson Yeadon, chief financial officer.
He said: “I thank them for their understanding and for facilitating my exit at this important moment for our family.”
Drake will replace Cottle as chief executive.
Drake said: “After 20+ years of working with Matt, I am sad to see him go.
“We go way back: we first met at First National Bank back in 1998 and we’ve been through a huge amount together ever since.
“But when Matt told us back in September that he had to be there for his family, we completely understood.
“From a work perspective, I am lucky to have an incredible team around me: focussed, hard working and determined to weather the storms we are all experiencing.”
