Hanley Economic Building Society has appointed Samantha Ward as its new commercial director, a role created to spearhead strategic leadership across marketing, products and sales functions.

Ward (pictured) joins the Staffordshire-based mutual with almost 25 years of financial services experience, most of it within the building society sector. She previously held senior roles at Dudley Building Society, including head of lending, head of commercial, and commercial director, before moving to LiveMore Capital, where she was most recently head of proposition, strategy and development.

At Hanley Economic, she will focus on refining the society’s strategic direction and developing its relationships with intermediaries. Her appointment is seen as central to Hanley’s ambition to enhance its product offering and customer engagement, while deepening its footprint in the broker market.

Chief executive Mark Selby said the society was “delighted” to bring Ward on board, describing her as “the perfect fit” given her breadth of experience in both mutual and specialist lending environments.

“We are confident that her leadership will be instrumental in furthering our commitment to providing innovative, customer-focused solutions and extending our intermediary partnerships,” Selby said.

Ward said she was pleased to return to the mutual sector, highlighting the opportunity to help shape solutions that address complex borrower needs while supporting the wider community.

“I’m passionate about developing products and services that provide tailored, innovative solutions for those with specific financial needs,” she said, “while actively supporting community-led initiatives.”