Payne will report to L&C managing director Sidney Wager and joins with more than 20 years’ experience in financial services, including senior roles focused on sales strategy, distribution and customer experience.

He was previously group sales director at Together Money, where he oversaw lending across multiple business channels.

Before that he served as managing director at Fluent Money Group and sat on the board that led the business through its sale.

L&C Mortgages chief operating officer Dan Payne says: “I’m honoured to join L&C Mortgages, which has a long-standing reputation for excellence and innovation in the mortgage market.

“I’m excited to help shape the next chapter of its growth and look forward to working alongside such a talented leadership team.

“My focus will be on process optimisation to further enhance the experience for our customers and deliver forward-thinking solutions to keep L&C at the forefront of the industry.”

L&C Mortgages chief executive officer Mark Harrington says: “I’m excited to welcome Dan to the L&C senior team.

“He has a strong track record of leading high-performing teams like ours, helping them to deliver outstanding results.

“L&C has the ambition to continue to be the UK’s favourite mortgage partner, not only now but also for the future.

“Dan will play a key role in shaping our distribution strategy and supporting our continued success, building further on the growth we’ve enjoyed in recent years.”