Paragon’s SME lending division has created a number of roles and grown its support functions to improve customer service and quicken lending decisions.
The broker team has been split into three – Broker North, Broker South and Broker Central – to support brokers across each region.
The division said the change would “allow the team to provide fast, high-quality service to its valued customers, brokers and vendors”.
Ian Galbraith has been appointed to the newly created role of standards and performance manager. He will oversee the sales process and ensure it is efficient and adheres to relevant regulation, and examine how the lender can improve products, propositions and processes.
Galbraith has been with Paragon Bank since 2016, initially joining as a regional sales director for its business finance division and then becoming head of broker. He has also held senior roles at Oracle Finance and Lombard.
The division has bolstered its credit and risk team by 30%, which will talk directly with brokers and vendors to progress enquiries to approved credit decisions.
How the housing landscape is set to shift
Sponsored by Halifax Intermediaries
This allows the sales team to spend more time working closely with clients and intermediaries.
The Pay Out team has grown by six employees and it will also speak to brokers and vendors directly to generate the correct documentation, and work with them to garner further information that may be needed to speed up the payout process.
John Phillipou, managing director of Paragon SME Lending, said: “Paragon SME Lending had a brilliant year in 2024, where we lent over £480m to small and medium businesses across the UK.
“We are determined to support more customers this year, which is why we’ve implemented these changes to provide an efficient and high-calibre service, making the lending process as smooth as possible. Combined with the delivery of a new back-office system, we are building a great platform to drive future growth for the business.”
Stewart Good, sales director of Paragon SME Lending, added: “These changes will supercharge our lending operation, enabling our sales teams to focus on delivering for more customers, supported by a back-office team that can engage directly with brokers and vendors to efficiently process applications. We have invested in our team and now boast one of the largest in the sector, ready to support even more customers.”
