Air, the platform for later life lending professionals, has appointed Dan Holden into the newly created role of head of academy learning programme at Air Academy.

With a background in Higher Education and over 7 years’ experience in developing training programmes, mentoring individuals, and building educational business partnerships, Holden (pictured) is well-suited to grow the engagement of the academy with individual advisers as well as the wider corporate partners.

The Academy provides advisers with insight, support, and content to enable them to continually develop their professionalism in an ever-changing market.

Advisers who complete the nine core modules which are accredited by the London Institute of Banking and Finance and aligned to the Equity Release Council’s Competency Framework gain permission to display a unique ‘Accredited Later Life Lending Professional’ digital badge to promote their later life credentials.

Holden will be responsible for building on these modules to develop the proposition into one that in time will move from just supporting Air members to eventually covering the needs of the wider market on a white label basis.

He will also work closely with Air Ambassadors and organisations like the LIBF to provide a broader more inclusive proposition which is designed to take individuals from passing their initial exams to becoming an expert in the later life lending field.

Paul Glynn, CEO of Air, said: “Air Academy is the only training scheme operating in the later life lending space accredited by London Institute of Banking and Finance and aligned with the Equity Release Council’s competency framework. With Consumer Duty demanding that organisations step up to provide good customer outcomes, now is the time to build on this approach to support our members with a wider range of training options and a more inclusive approach.

“Dan’s appointment could not have come at a better time to super charge this, and I look forward to working with Dan as he helps to take Air Academy to the next level.”

Holden added: “Having worked with advisers as well as businesses, I know how important it is to support continual learning and help people provide the type of professional empathetic advice that they would want if they were a customer. I am therefore delighted to become Head of Air Academy and am looking forward to helping to build, grow and develop the offering of this important part of the market.”