Buy-to-let (BTL) lender Fleet Mortgages has appointed Nicola Richardson as its managing director.
She has worked with the lender since its launch in 2014 and has been key in building and scaling the business.
Richardson joined as head of finance, where she established the lender’s finance function. Since then, she has progressed through several senior roles, including finance director, CFO and, most recently, chief finance and operating officer.
As she has progressed within the business, Richardson has worked across multiple disciplines, playing a role in shaping Fleet Mortgages’ structure, proposition and long-term strategy.
The lender said Richardson was the “perfect person to lead the lender forward”, considering her in-depth understanding of its operations, financing, intermediary relationships and the needs of its landlord borrowers.
She has more than 14 years of experience in financial services, having qualified as a chartered accounted and holding the AMCT qualification gained while in a treasury role at CHL Mortgages. The lender said she would bring her strong technical and funding background to her leadership.
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As managing director, Richardson will be responsible for the lender’s leadership, performance and strategic direction. She will oversee all core areas of the business, ensuring its controlled and sustainable growth, with a focus on underwriting, service and broker support.
A key part of her remit will be to drive further development of Fleet Mortgages’ proposition. This includes continued investment in technology, refinement of lending criteria, evolution of products and pricing, and ongoing enhancement of the service offering.
She will also be tasked with driving the development of Fleet Mortgages’ offering, backed by the continued investment in technology, refining its lending criteria, products, pricing and service.
Evolving Fleet Mortgages
Richardson (pictured) said she was “very pleased” to be taking on the role of managing director, having been part of the business since its establishment.
She added: “Over that time, I’ve had the opportunity to work across a number of areas and help build Fleet into the strong position it holds today, which gives me a clear understanding of both how we operate and where I would like to take the business next.
“Our focus now is on continuing to evolve Fleet in a way that strengthens our proposition, supports our intermediary partners and meets the needs of landlord borrowers. That means investing further in our technology to improve efficiency and user experience, keeping our criteria and product range relevant and competitive, and maintaining a high-quality service proposition throughout the application process.”
She said Fleet Mortgages remained focused on strengthening its teams, particularly in the support it provided to brokers, who played a “key role” in the lender’s success.
“By working closely together and maintaining a clear focus on delivering consistent outcomes, we believe we can continue to grow the business in a sustainable way while adapting to changing market conditions,” Richardson said.
She added: “I strongly believe the best results come from a collaborative approach, with clear goals and a shared commitment across the business. That will remain central to how we operate as we move into the next stage of Fleet’s development. I am fortunate to have a very supportive parent in Starling Group and an amazing team here; together, we’ll be working to ensure Fleet continues to be a leader in the specialist BTL lending space.”