George Patellis has joined West One Loans as head of strategy.

He is tasking with looking after the lender’s distribution strategy and to develop more introducer relationships.

Patellis (pictured) has over 19 years of experience in senior management with Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, C-BASS and Washington Mutual.

Since 2006 Patellis has taken up various consulting roles, including a spell advising the Regulatory Alliance of Mortgage Packers (RAMP) and two years working as chief executive officer at a start up lender in Australia. He was appointed CEO at Tiuta in 2009 before leaving in 2011. He has also been managing director of Preferred Mortgages.

“The West One set-up is genuinely entrepreneurial,” said Patellis. “We have a motivated and ambitious group of people here who want to take the business to the next level. The daily buzz in the office is invigorating – the energy of the company is there for all to see. I’m looking forward to the challenge of developing new relationships and improving the distribution side of the business.

“With so many new entrants in the market, competition is fierce. Hopefully my experience and business development skills will give West One an extra edge.”

Duncan Kreeger, chairman of West One Loans, added: “George has an unrivalled track record in the industry. With his wealth of knowledge and experience, George will be able to unlock doors for us in the packager and distribution world that no one else can. He combines entrepreneurial flair and negotiation skills with a deep knowledge of the market. He’ll be an invaluable asset.

“His appointment is also a testament to our ambition. The loan book has grown rapidly over the last 12 months, but we’re not content to rest on our laurels. We’re expanding and we want to maintain that momentum by cultivating new broker relationships and enhancing the distribution side of the business.”