The peer-to-peer lender says Charnley has spent 28 years working in commercial lending across various asset classes and has undertaken a number of senior leadership roles at a number of firms.

He joins from specialist lender Together, which offers short-term finance, auction finance, personal, commercial and buy-to-let mortgages, development funding and secured loans.

Assetz says Charnley will focus on “the lending side of the business” and will oversee a team of 130, and reports to chief executive Stuart Law.

Law says: “Andrew will play a huge role in taking Assetz Capital to the next level of growth as we set our sights on growing our influence in the wider housing market.

“One of our longer-term targets is to fund 25 per cent of the SME housebuilding sector and Andrew’s vast experience will support that ambition.”

Charnley adds that Assetz Capital is “a market leader in the UK alternative lending sector” financing UK small firms and new housing.

The move comes after the lender hired Jason Way as business development director in February and James Evans and John McDonell as relationship directors in January.