Together has appointed Russell Anderson as chief strategy officer as the specialist lender looks to support its transformation and growth plans.

Anderson (pictured) joins the lender today from Paragon Bank, where he was commercial director.

He brings 24 years of banking experience, including responsibility for mortgage sales and distribution, customer retention and partnerships. Before joining Paragon, Anderson held roles at Bank of Ireland, Santander and Lloyds Bank.

The newly created role will see him lead the development and execution of Together’s strategy, with a focus on growth, transformation and strengthening key partnerships across the market.

Together said the appointment comes as the business has grown to an £8.1 billion loan book and employs more than 900 colleagues.

Anderson said: “Together has an exciting opportunity to continue its strong growth trajectory through its mission to give everyone a fair chance at accessing the finance that they need to make property ambitions a reality.

“I’ll be working with the business to deepen our partnerships, unlock new routes to market and support more customers in achieving their property goals.”

Anderson will report directly to Richard Rowntree, group chief executive of Together, and will join the senior leadership team.

Rowntree added: “I am delighted to welcome Russell to Together at an important point in our evolution. His strategic expertise, commercial discipline and deep understanding of distribution and partnerships make him a strong addition to our leadership team.

“As we continue to invest in our transformation and strengthen the Group’s strategic capability, Russell will play a pivotal role in shaping our next phase of growth and delivering our ambition to be the UK’s finance partner of choice.”