In an exclusive interview with BTL Insider and B&C Magazine, Chetwood Financial’s newest appointments — industry stalwarts Alan Cleary and Roger Morris — and the bank’s CEO Andy Mielczarek talk about the business’ ambitious plans to become “one of the leading specialist lenders".
Earlier this month, Alan and Roger joined the digital bank as the new chair of the mortgage advisory board, and group distribution director, respectively.
In their new roles, Alan will provide guidance on the commercial strategy for both ModaMortgages and CHL Mortgages for Intermediaries (CMI) as Chetwood Financial builds its presence and establishes itself as a leading name in the specialist lending market.
“I want to help the management team and Chetwood Financial to be the best that they can be in the specialist mortgage market — after all, if you're not doing things better, then you ought to stay at home. We’re a nimble bank that wants to do big things, and I’m confident that brokers, packagers, mortgage networks, and mortgage clubs will say we are indeed doing things better,” said Alan.
“I like a challenge, and I like to grow businesses, so I'll be pushing the team to do more and explore other avenues.”
The bank has made big strides already following the acquisition of CMI, offering mortgages under the CHL Mortgages’ brand, and is soon to launch its own BTL brand, ModaMortgages.
Roger will be responsible for distribution, initially focusing on CHL Mortgages’ networks and mortgage clubs ahead of ModaMortgages’ launch, as well as delivering educational support and workshops to brokers.
“To join a place where everyone is so passionate about the work we do and how we can do it right is amazing. When you walk around the Wrexham, London, and Fleet offices, it feels like coming home,” Roger commented.
The appointment of the two industry experts is part of Chetwood Financial’s ambitious plans to become a significant player in the specialist lending market, starting off with the BTL sector.
“When we decided we wanted to go into specialist mortgages, we looked at who the best people in this area are — after all, if you want to be the best at something, you have to find the best people to work with, and these guys [Alan and Roger] are indeed the best in what they do,” added Andy.
To support its extensive plans for the BTL market, Chetwood Financial will focus on expanding its partnerships with mortgage networks, distributors, and clubs, as well as further enhancing its work culture to attract the best talent.
In addition, the digital bank is keen to innovate the specialist mortgages market with new technology solutions, an area where Andy thinks there’s plenty of room for improvement.
“This goes back to our foundation: how can we use technology to do a better job for the customers? There’s still quite a lot of old-fashioned practices, so the specialist mortgages market feels ripe for tech improvements,” the CEO noted.
Overall, the digital bank’s overarching plan is simple: to do things differently and make a name for itself as a top player in the specialist lending market.
“I said from the beginning, we want to be one of the leading specialist lenders — having Alan and Roger on board will help us get there.”
The full interview with Alan, Roger and Andy will be published exclusively in the July/August issue of the B&C Magazine. To receive your complimentary copy of the magazine, subscribe here.
