LendInvest has appointed Andy Virgo as its first business development manager (BDM) for the South of England.

Virgo (pictured) has 30 years’ experience in both mortgage sales and broking, and will be responsible for sourcing deals across the South of England. Based in the field, he will travel throughout the region considering all specialist property loan opportunities anywhere between Kent and Cornwall, and up to Birmingham.

He joins LendInvest from Interbay Commercial, the commercial mortgage lender in the OneSavings Bank group of companies, where he was a senior BDM. He has previously worked as a commercial mortgage broker for Christie Finance and as a BDM for Natwest Bank. He also set up his own property finance brokerage in 2006 which he ran until his move to Christie Finance in 2011.

Matthew Tooth, chief commercial officer at LendInvest, said: “Andy has an outstanding reputation with both brokers and lenders alike, bringing a wide range of contacts to the role. His extensive experience as both a BDM and broker means he understands how to manage a deal from both sides of the coin, allowing him to anticipate issues before they arrive and identify new opportunities early. We are very excited to have Andy on board as we look to continue looking to expand our product offering this year and reach more borrowers right across the South of England.”

Virgo added: “I am always looking to break new ground and try something new, so the opportunity to join the team of an established and fast-growing lender like LendInvest that continues to bring excellent new products to a market that truly needs them is an exciting prospect. The demand for finance is certainly there and I am looking forward to getting back out on the road.”