Tandem Bank has appointed Laura Walters as head of sales and distribution following the planned early retirement of Nigel Brookes.
Brookes, who was director of second charge sales and distribution, leaves after more than a decade with the Blackpool-based challenger bank.
During that period, Tandem said he played a central role in building its position in the specialist second charge mortgage market.
Walters (pictured) has worked with Brookes and Steve Beard, managing director of mortgages, during her 13 years with the bank. Tandem said her experience in the second charge market, broker relationships and contribution to the business made her the natural successor.
She will continue to work closely with Beard as Tandem looks to grow its second charge business.
The bank said one of the main developments during Brookes’ time with the business was the launch last year of Tandem Connect, its broker platform.
Tandem said the platform automated key stages of the loan process and reduced case processing times by 4.5 working days.
The lender said the leadership change comes as the second charge market continues to grow, with new agreements rising by more than 27% year-on-year through 2025 and 2026.
Beard said: “On behalf of everyone at Tandem, I’d like to thank Nigel for his huge contribution over the past decade. He has played a central role in building our second charge proposition into what it is today and in shaping our relationships across the broker community.
“A planned early retirement is thoroughly well deserved and we wish him all the very best for what comes next.”
“I’m delighted to see Laura step into this role. She brings strong leadership, deep expertise and a clear understanding of both our strategy and our partners.
“The second charge market is growing and we’re growing with it – with a strong team in place, a clear plan and the technology to back it up.”
Walters said: “I’m excited to step into this role at such a pivotal moment for Tandem and the second charge market. We’ve built strong foundations through great tech, strong relationships and real delivery.
“My focus now is on accelerating that. For brokers, that means faster decisions, smoother journeys and a partner that’s easy to do business with. The opportunity here is massive and we’re well placed to make the most of it.”
