Masthaven Bank has appointment Leigh Bartlett as its new chief executive officer (CEO).

Jon Hall will continue in his current role as chief commercial officer (CCO) and deputy CEO while Andrew Bloom, Masthaven’s founder, has stepped back from being CEO but will continue to remain on the Board as non-executive director.

Bartlett (pictured) joined Masthaven from technology company FNZ and has more than 15 years of experience as a CFO, operating principally in the financial services sector. He has worked both in the UK and overseas, having previously held CFO positions at Williams & Glyn, Westpac Banking Corporation, Direct Line Group, Royal Bank of Scotland and Alliance & Leicester.

He said: “Masthaven Bank entered the market to work with corporate and intermediary partners to make finance accessible to growing groups of the population who were underserved by the high street lenders. As we’ve grown and matured, we have become well established within the specialist lending market, offering a competitive range of products, flexibility and a focus on technology-driven customer service without losing the human touch.

“To say this is an interesting time to be stepping up to the CEO role of the bank is an understatement. Nonetheless, I’ve been so impressed by the efforts of all our colleagues and our corporate and intermediary partners as we’ve rapidly transitioned to remote working and continued to serve our customers through the coronavirus crisis. Masthaven remains open for business with the financial backing of Värde Partners and our retail savings deposits, which has proven invaluable during this time. Masthaven is a key player in the UK specialist banking market and I’m looking forward to leading the bank as we move into the next stage of our evolution.”

Bloom added: “Masthaven has been a major part of my life over the past 15 years. We have built an incredibly strong foundation and a great leadership team. I know I’m leaving the bank in safe hands with Leigh as CEO and Jon as Deputy CEO. As a non-executive director and significant shareholder, I will continue to assist the leadership team whenever I am needed and can add value.”