David Crooke has been appointed as head of intermediary sales for Sainsbury’s Bank.

Crooke (pictured) joins from Virgin Money where he was responsible for intermediary service and sales across the North of the UK. The move sees him lead the bank’s newly formed mortgages intermediary division, following a pilot launch last year.

During the first few months of this year Sainsbury’s Bank welcomed Openwork as its first broker network since completing its launch phase with its Legal & General partners. The bank’s broker partners now include Openwork, Savills, Alexander Hall, First Mortgage, Springtide, Mortgage Advice Bureaux and Stonebridge Group as well as pilot partner L&C Mortgages.

David Buxton head of banking at Sainsbury’s Bank, said: “This is an important appointment for the bank as we continue to put our broker distribution model at the heart of our strategy to grow our mortgage business. David’s mortgage sales experience makes him an excellent fit for our team.”

Crooke added: “I’m delighted to be joining a bank with such rich customer heritage, and that’s committed to growing its business through a strong broker network.”