Darlington Building Society has promoted Leanne Arundell to head of underwriting.

Arundell was the Darlington’s lending specialist manager from February 2025.

In her new role, Arundell will oversee the society’s underwriting.

Darlington said she would support “consistent lending decisions” and make sure brokers “continue to benefit from a practical, case-by-case approach to mortgage applications”.

The society said a key focus for Arundell will be maintaining close working relationships between the underwriting and mortgage distribution teams.

She will also help brokers understand lending requirements and ensure applications needing greater consideration can be discussed with experienced staff.

Arundell said: “Having spent the past few years working across different roles within Darlington’s lending team, I’ve seen how much difference it makes when underwriters and brokers work together. That’s something I want to build on in this role, while ensuring we continue to make responsible lending decisions that deliver good outcomes for borrowers.”

Darlington Building Society head of mortgage distribution Chris Blewitt said: “One of the frustrations we hear from brokers is that underwriting can sometimes feel like a process happening behind closed doors. When a case falls outside the most straightforward lending scenarios, they need to understand what is possible, what information is required and, importantly, why a particular decision has been made.

“Leanne understands that underwriting is about much more than assessing risk against a set of criteria. It’s about applying sound judgement and recognising when a conversation can make the difference between an application progressing and a broker having to start again.

“Having worked her way through the underwriting function at Darlington, she knows our approach and fully understands the expectations of the brokers who place business with us.”