Fleet Mortgages has appointed Claire Graham as business development manager for Wales and the South West.
Graham (pictured) joins the buy-to-let specialist lender with immediate effect and will report to Steve Cox, chief commercial officer at Fleet Mortgages.
She will be responsible for supporting brokers and firms across the region, helping them place specialist buy-to-let business and access Fleet’s products, criteria and support.
Graham will also work with intermediary partners to identify opportunities within their client bases as landlord activity continues to change and demand for specialist lending remains strong.
She has more than 12 years’ experience in financial services, most recently at Monmouthshire Building Society, where she worked as business development manager for South Wales.
Before joining Monmouthshire, Graham worked as a mortgage and protection adviser with firms including Grosvenor May Financial Services, The Money Partnership and NatWest. She also held customer-facing roles at RBS and HSBC.
Graham is also known in the regional business community as founder of the Newport and Cardiff Women’s Business Networking groups and co-founder of That Charity Ball, an annual Cardiff event that raises funds for 2Wish Cymru, which supports families affected by the sudden death of a child or young person.
Her appointment follows Fleet’s announcement earlier this month that two of its business development managers, Chris Barwick and Katy Williams, had been promoted to the newly created roles of regional sales manager.
Cox said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Claire as our newest BDM within the Fleet team. She brings a strong track record of working closely with brokers, along with a clear understanding of what advisers need in order to place business effectively.
“This is an important region for us and her experience, both as a BDM and as a former adviser, means she is well-placed to support brokers with the practical challenges they face, whether that’s navigating criteria, structuring cases or identifying the right solution for their landlord clients.
“Her existing relationships and profile in the market will also help Fleet continue to grow our presence across Wales and the South West.”
Graham said: “I’m really excited to be joining Fleet Mortgages and to continue working with both existing contacts across a wide range of brokers and firms I already know, plus help forge new relationships across the region.
“Fleet has a very strong reputation in the buy-to-let market for its focus on specialist landlord wants and needs, and for the support it provides to advisers, and that was a big part of the appeal for me.
“Having worked both as an adviser and as a BDM, I understand how important it is to have a lender that is accessible, clear on criteria and willing to work with brokers to get cases through. I’m looking forward to building on my existing relationships and helping brokers place business with confidence.”
