Hanley Economic Building Society has appointed Vanessa Hunt as its new head of sales as the mutual looks to strengthen broker relationships and refine its lending strategy.

Hunt (pictured) joins the Stoke-on-Trent mutual with more than a decade of experience in mortgages and wider financial services.

She arrives from Harpenden Building Society, where she spent three years and most recently served as key account manager. In that role she led the business development team and worked closely with core intermediary partners.

She previously held roles at Countrywide Mortgage Services as a mortgage and protection consultant.

At Hanley, Hunt will be responsible for shaping the Society’s sales strategy, improving lending processes and deepening engagement with brokers.

Her remit includes developing criteria and enhancing flexibility within the lender’s risk framework, alongside close collaboration with internal teams to maintain consistent service standards.

Sam Ward, chief commercial officer at Hanley Economic Building Society, said: “Vanessa brings valuable industry insight and a progressive approach to the role.

“She shares our commitment to transparency, responsiveness and simplicity in lending, and her understanding of the mutual model was an important factor in her appointment.

“Her experience and enthusiasm for building strong intermediary partnerships will be instrumental as we continue to develop our proposition and deliver on our lending ambitions.”

Hunt added: “Hanley has built a strong reputation for its specialist and personal approach to lending.

“The Society’s values and focus on relationships align closely with my own approach and I look forward to working with our intermediary partners to support their clients and help drive the next stage of growth for the business.”