Skipton Building Society has named Simon Farrell-Roberts as the head of mortgage lending for Skipton Group.
Farrell-Roberts has 30 years of experience in the sector and will be responsible for driving innovation and improving the home buying journey for borrowers.
Before joining Skipton in September, Farrell-Roberts was the head of performance and operations at Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) for four-and-a-half years. Prior to that, he held various roles at Halifax and worked there for nearly 14 years, most recently as head of customer delivery.
Farrell-Roberts (pictured) said: “I’m passionate about helping customers achieve their homeownership goals, and I’m excited to bring that commitment to Skipton.
“I was drawn to Skipton because of its genuine commitment to homeownership, particularly for first-time buyers. The society’s innovative products, partnerships, and approach to tackling real customer challenges reflect a culture of purpose that I admire.”
In his new role, he will lead Skipton’s mortgage lending team with a view to improve the speed and efficiency of its decision-making processes, utilise technology to streamline routine tasks and allow the mutual to develop a personalised service.
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Farrell-Roberts said he was already observing mortgage market trends that aligned with Skipton’s goal.
He added: “It’s encouraging to see first-time buyers leading the market recovery this year. As customers increasingly seek digital solutions, we’re embracing new technologies to make the mortgage process simpler and less stressful.
“A mortgage is an enabler for our customers’ dreams. Our approach is to treat each customer individually, ensuring our service supports their unique journey to homeownership.”
For the year ending 2023, Skipton Building Society saw its mortgage advances rise 6.3% annually to £6.7bn.
