United Trust Bank (UTB) has made two new appointments in its bridging servicing team.

Adetayo (Tayo) Odukoya has been appointed head of servicing – bridging. Odukoya has worked in senior service roles for nearly 20 years with companies including Santander, Acenden and, most recently, Pepper UK where he was arrears and litigation manager.

Odukoya will work closely with director of bridging, Sundeep Patel, and support the division’s wider senior management team. His immediate objectives include improving in-life customer service levels, creating and implementing a strong control framework to manage the loan journey efficiently from completion to repayment, and ensuring the bank’s processes are quick to adapt to market changes. He will also monitor Consumer Duty principles for bridging service and support and evolve the division’s vulnerable customer support.

Odukoya will be supported by Tony Rose who has been promoted within UTB’s bridging team to servicing manager. Rose has worked in UTB’s bridging division since 2016 as a client liaison officer and most recently as an operation & project analyst. Rose has worked in banking for nearly 15 years including seven years working in Australia and New Zealand in servicing and underwriting roles for Bank of New Zealand and Bankwest.

Odukoya said: “I am delighted to be joining the bridging servicing Team at UTB during this very exciting time in the industry. Working with Sundeep and the wider bridging teams, I look forward to enhancing both the overall customer experience and UTB’s market position by utilising the wealth of experience we have across the business.”

Rose said: “I am delighted to be joining the bridging servicing team. I have witnessed first-hand UTB’s tremendous growth and success in the bridging sector and our esteemed servicing team has consistently demonstrated an unwavering dedication to providing assistance to our customers during difficult periods. I look forward to enhancing our overall customer service and further solidifying UTB’s impressive reputation within the market.”

Patel added: “We have invested in some significant appointments this year as we continue to grow our bridging business, improve our processes and commit to consistently delivering the high levels of service brokers demand and deserve.

“I am delighted that Tayo has joined the Bank at this exciting time in our evolution, and with Tony supporting him, and both working closely with the wider Senior management Team, they will ensure our in-life loan servicing become the best in the market for regulated and unregulated bridging customers.”