Afin Bank has appointed Lisa Taylor as an underwriter as the specialist lender continues to expand its team.

Taylor (pictured) joins from Pepper Money and brings almost 25 years of experience in the mortgage and specialist lending sector, with previous roles at Precise Mortgages and Ocean Finance.

The lender said the appointment comes as it continues to build out its underwriting capability for borrowers whose circumstances fall outside mainstream criteria, including high-net-worth customers, self-employed applicants, workers with non-standard incomes and foreign nationals in the UK on a valid work visa.

Afin Bank individually underwrites all of its mortgage applications, rather than relying solely on automated processes, with the business focusing on cases that can prove more complex for mainstream lenders.

Taylor said: “More and more lenders are taking the automated route and that takes a lot of work away from skilled underwriters.

“With Afin, cases can be more complicated, so that gets your brain working, but it also gives you a sense of achievement when you can help a borrower.”

She added: “I also like the fact that Afin Bank is still fairly new, because that gives me the opportunity to bring my experience and contribute to building a lender that is really needed in the mortgage market right now.”

Swaraj Dada, head of credit for Afin Bank, added: “Lisa has a wealth of experience handling complex cases and specialist lending, making her a strong addition to our underwriting team.”

He added: “We serve a broad and diverse customer base, from mainstream UK residents through to diaspora borrowers, supporting their needs whether they are first-time buyers, professionals, the self-employed or high-net-worth clients with more complex needs.

“That means we need an underwriting team that can provide the right level of expertise and support, whatever a borrower’s circumstances.”