LHV Bank has expanded its UK lending team with the appointment of Callum Livingstone as lending director.
Based in Manchester, Livingstone (pictured) will report directly to Conor McDermott, director of SME lending, and work across both trading and real estate businesses. His remit will include term debt and investment lending, with a focus on growth, acquisition and expansion finance.
Livingstone joins from Cynergy Bank, where he spent four years progressing to relationship director and supporting a broad range of SME and property clients. His earlier career included roles with TSB Bank, Hitachi Capital and RBS, all in broker-facing, relationship-led positions.
His arrival follows a period of recruitment activity at LHV Bank, which has recently added lending operations managers Olivia Carling and Emma Wright, along with lending managers Dassos Alexandrou and James Murphy, as it continues to build out its UK team.
The bank, which launched in the UK in 2022, provides specialist SME lending solutions for owner-managed and entrepreneur-led businesses. These include trading business finance for working capital, acquisitions and growth, and commercial real estate investment lending for income-generating assets.
LHV Bank now has an active loan book exceeding £500m and total assets of more than £1bn, underpinned by a focus on responsive, relationship-led decision-making.
Commenting on his appointment, Livingstone said: “LHV Bank has achieved a huge amount in a short time since its UK launch in 2022, building a reputation for being fast, flexible, and truly relationship-driven.
“Joining such an ambitious team that’s passionate about supporting brokers and their clients is incredibly exciting.
“I’m looking forward to helping more businesses access the right funding to grow and succeed.”
McDermott added: “Callum’s appointment adds real strength and energy to our lending proposition.
“His background in both trading and property finance, and his strong broker relationships, will help us reach more businesses that value a lender prepared to look at each case on its merits.
“The energy, experience and dynamism Callum brings will be a great addition to our growing team.”
