Shawbrook Bank has announced the promotion of Karen Bennett to the position of sales and marketing director, commercial mortgages.

Bennett was previously head of sales and marketing, commercial mortgages.

Last month the bank signalled its intention to grow its commercial lending team.

It wants to recruit lending officers, lending managers and a sales executive, to build a specialist short term loan team in the coming months, while adding additional new staff members to its lending and specialist lending teams.

The lender has already doubled its field sales team this year with four new recruits.