James Briggs has joined newly launched specialist lender Afin Bank as Intermediary Sales Director. Previously Head of Intermediary Sales at Together Personal Finance, Briggs will lead the charge to develop broker relationships ahead of the lender’s planned full launch next year.
Afin Bank has been created to support clients with an array of specialist requirements who struggle to secure funding via high street banks or fail to meet other specialist lenders’ criteria. Specifically, Afin Bank says it will support borrowers including the self-employed, high-net worth borrowers, and clients building their professional careers and have a non-standard income.
The bank will also support Africans living and working in the UK, who are poorly served by mainstream lenders because of their nationality, visa status or lack of credit history. Afin Bank says as the bank grows it is likely to appeal to borrowers from other under-served diaspora communities.
Briggs brings over 25 years of experience of the specialist mortgage market, including a stint at Precise Mortgages. He said: “I am excited for the opportunity to work with brokers and distribution partners to help fill the criteria gaps and create a competitive proposition for the intermediary community and their clients.
“We are creating a specialist lending proposition, comprising a forward-thinking range of products. Our proposition will harness the latest technology to create a product journey without the friction, for both the broker and the borrower. Afin Bank will help brokers convert more cases and support more clients who are currently under-served by the market.”
Briggs joins his former Together Personal Finance colleague Alan Davison, who is Afin Bank’s Chief Commercial Officer.
Davison said: “I’m delighted that James is joining us at Afin Bank. He knows the specialist lending market inside out, has a track record for developing longstanding distribution relationships, and really understands how Afin Bank will help this important market.
“Treating our customers and our brokers fairly and with the respect they deserve is very important to Afin Bank and is at the very heart of our values and our business model. I look forward to working with James as he engages with our partners to tell the Afin Bank story.”
Afin Bank is backed by WAICA Reinsurance Corporation Plc (WAICA Re), one of the largest reinsurance companies in Africa, which has committed £60m to launch Afin Bank.
The Bank aims to start lending early next year2 through intermediaries, along with partnerships with groups in diaspora communities, such as cultural networks and associations. The lender says its products will be developed to suit its customers’ circumstances, ensuring common-sense decisions, while technology will be used to deliver quick and efficient service for borrowers and intermediaries.
Afin Bank will also offer a range of FSCS protected savings products to all UK savers, with more products in the pipeline. Customers will be able to manage their products via a digital app.
