Andrew Montlake, managing director of Coreco Mortgages, is the new chair of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI).

He takes over from Martin Reynolds, chief executive of Simplybiz Mortgages, who is stepping down after three years in the role, on 1 January 2021.

Reynolds said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my three years as chair of AMI. It has been a privilege to be able to represent our fantastic industry. There have definitely been challenging times during this period, but Robert Sinclair and his team work tirelessly to ensure that the intermediary community is fully represented with the regulator and other trade bodies.

“It is fantastic to have our first practitioner as chair and I am sure that Andrew will use his influence and knowledge to continue to shine the positive light on the mortgage and protection advisers that we serve.”

Montlake added: “It is a real honour to have been elected as AMI chair and I would like to thank Martin for the outstanding job he has done over the past three years; these are big shoes to fill.

“We have an amazing board, who care passionately about the mortgage industry and we will continue to drive forward in a spirit of collaboration and partnership with lenders, government and regulators. It is important that AMI continues to lead from the front, helping to inspire future leaders of this industry, whilst being relevant and helpful to those within it. We need to ensure we openly encourage equality, diversity, and inclusion, to be more representative of society, our members and their clients.

“Being a chair who is a mortgage broker at heart, still advising clients, will help us show empathy with our members, be more reflective of both their and their clients concerns, and give credence to our discussions with regulators, especially in these challenging times.

“I would urge anyone who has not engaged with AMI previously to do so; we are all stronger together and your voice is needed.”