Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has promoted Greg Barnard to head of field underwriting and hired Ceri Blackwell as head of new business.
Barnard has been with HTB for around six years, initially joining as an underwriter and then becoming a senior underwriter in 2021 and the head of broker support in 2023.
Prior to that, he was a senior underwriter for C&M Wealth Group, and before that, he was a bridging underwriter at Atpledge. He also worked at Nationwide for eight years.
In her role, Blackwell will lead the lending manager team, which recently had the addition of four lending managers, and offer brokers support in packaging and processing applications.
She previously worked at Foundation Home Loans for around seven years, most recently as head of underwriting.
Blackwell joined the firm in 2017 as an underwriting manager, before taking on the role of senior operations lending manager in 2021 and then head of underwriting in 2022.
‘Our people are our greatest asset’
Alex Upton, managing director of specialist mortgages, said: “Our broker partners recognise and value HTB’s strong track record in handling complex lending scenarios and finding effective solutions. I have always believed that our people are our greatest asset, so we continually invest in attracting and retaining the best talent in the industry.
“With Greg’s promotion to head of field underwriting, we are now bringing our expertise directly into our brokers’ offices, offering unparalleled access to decision-making with insight, knowledge, and expertise.”
She continued: “Additionally, with Ceri joining us as head of new business, we are further strengthening the team, ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional service and innovative solutions for our broker partners. Her extensive experience and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to grow and enhance our specialist mortgages offering.”
Barnard added: “HTB has established a fantastic reputation for setting the bar in customer service and embracing complex cases that other lenders do not have the experience or appetite to support.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to build a team of remote underwriters that will sit at the heart of the action on-site, providing immediate support for our broker clients, collaborating to find solutions, and delivering much greater speed and agility to get complex deals over the line.”
Blackwell said: “HTB’s specialist mortgages team has increasingly become the go-to for challenging cases. It’s refreshing to see what can be achieved with an empowered team that seamlessly connects underwriters, BDMs, brokers, and clients.
“This collaboration allows us to assess and package deals quickly while providing consistent support and communication for our brokers at every stage of their cases. I am delighted to be joining at this key phase of growth at HTB.”
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
