Bridging lender Kuflink has announced the return of Ranjit Narwal as head of origination, as the firm aims to strengthen its presence in the intermediary-led short-term lending market.

Narwal (pictured) rejoins the Kent-based lender following a year with Connect for Intermediaries and brings more than 35 years of financial services experience.

His career began in life insurance sales before progressing into the mortgage sector, where he held roles across underwriting and broker sales, including time at Mortgage Express and iGroup. He also gained direct experience of the second charge sector during a stint at Endeavour Personal Finance.

His reappointment comes as Kuflink reaffirms its bridging roots and looks to re-engage more directly with brokers. The company, which launched in 2012 as a bridging lender, expanded in 2016 with the introduction of a peer-to-peer investment platform designed to fund its bridging loans.

Kuflink said the success of the platform, which relies on private investor funding rather than corporate capital, has allowed it to shift its focus back toward intermediary-led growth.

Molly Hepburn, director at Kuflink, said: “Kuflink started life as a bridging lender in 2012 and has successfully grown organically ever since. In 2016, we launched our P2P platform to attract private investors to fund the bridging loans we offer.

“Its success means that we can now concentrate on growing our presence in the intermediary bridging market, which is why I am delighted to welcome Ranjit back.

“He is charged with developing our introducer base and bringing the Kuflink brand to a wider broker audience.”

Narwal said he is looking forward to building awareness of the lender’s offering among brokers who may not yet be familiar with its capabilities. “Kuflink historically has a strong reputation for getting bridging and development finance cases done but had become something of a well-kept secret for brokers in the know, as the business concentrated on developing its P2P platform,” he said.

“Kuflink is one of very few bridging lenders that does not rely on corporate funding and has a close knit team with a huge amount of lending experience.

“These are the reasons why I am so excited to be coming back and taking on the role of turbocharging Kuflink’s short term lending presence in the broker market.”