Richard Rowntree has been appointed the chief executive and executive director of specialist lender Together, with effect from early 2025.
Rowntree joins from Paragon Bank, where he was the managing director of the mortgages division for four years.
He has over 30 years of experience in the banking sector, including three years at Bank of Ireland, where he was the managing director of UK mortgages.
He has also held senior roles at Bank of Ireland, RBS, Santander, Lloyds TSB and Halifax. Additionally, Rowntree has served as the chair of UK Finance’s mortgage product and service board, as well as a non-executive board member of the Estuary Housing Association and Progress Together.
Last year, Rowntree was awarded Freedom of the City of London for his work in promoting socioeconomic diversity in the financial services sector.
His appointment at Together follows the resignation of CEO designate Gerald Grimes earlier this year.
Henry Moser, chief executive, ultimate controlling shareholder and founder of Together, has been announced as the executive vice chair. He will have an active role in guiding the board and meeting the lender’s long-term strategy.
Mike McTighe, chair of Together, said: “We are delighted to welcome Richard as the new CEO of Together. He brings extensive experience in banking and will further strengthen our executive management team. Henry, our founder, is taking on the new role of executive vice chairman and I am confident he and Richard will form a great team to take the group forward.”
Moser added: “I am excited to announce Richard as my successor as CEO, as we celebrate our 50th anniversary. Together is a special business with a clear purpose and a unique culture and I look forward to working closely with Richard as we enter the next stage of our exciting growth story.”
Rowntree (pictured) said: “I am thrilled to join Together at this pivotal moment, as the Group celebrates 50 years of remarkable success. This is a business that has a market-leading proposition, a clear focus on delivering positive outcomes for customers and is backed by an exceptional team of talented, experienced professionals. I am proud to have the opportunity to take Together to the next level and look forward to leading this continued success.”
Shekina is the deputy editor at Mortgage Solutions and commercial editor at Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions. She has nearly eight years of experience in the B2B publishing market, having previously covered the hospitality, retail, pet, accounting and jewellery sectors.
Shekina has worked for Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions for almost five years. Here, she covers the market’s breaking news stories, engages with professionals in the sector, and oversees any commercially agreed content in partnership with mortgage-related companies.
This includes presenting webinars and hosting roundtable discussions on developing themes in the mortgage sector.
She is an NCTJ-trained journalist and was nominated for the Headline Money Awards Mortgage Journalist of the Year in 2021.
In her spare time, Shekina likes to read, travel, listen to music and socialise with friends.
She currently reports on current events in the mortgage market and liaises with financial clients to produce sponsored content.
Follow her on Twitter at @ShekinaMS
