Gene Clohessy has been promoted to director of buy to let (BTL) and bridging at United Trust Bank (UTB) as the firm progresses with its growth plans.
In her role, Clohessy will be responsible for the sales and underwriting functions across both BTL and bridging.
She joined UTB last year as its director of underwriting for bridging, bringing 20 years of experience in banking and real estate finance to the role. This included senior roles at LendInvest and Shawbrook Bank.
In her time at UTB, Clohessy has played a key role in developing the bank’s bridging credit strategy, enhancing the relationship between brokers and underwriters and supporting its proposition.
Her expanded role brings the sales and underwriting functions together under one director, which UTB said should provide a more cohesive approach to decision-making and fast access to expertise.
This follows the bank’s continued investment in its BTL and bridging propositions, including the launch of its bridging portal in July, which saw it digitise and automate administrative elements of the application journey and allow for cases to be submitted and progressed 24/7.
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In integrated credit searches, introduced electronic document uploads and digital workflows, removed the need for wet signatures and gave underwriters the capacity to spend time on complex aspects of a case.
Further improvements to the bridging proposition are yet to be announced.
UTB will recruit a head of underwriting for BTL and bridging, as well as a sales director dedicated to BTL and bridging. These functions will support the existing sales team led by Bradley Illman, head of sales.
‘A lot’ happening with bridging and BTL
Buster Tolfree, managing director of mortgages, BTL and bridging at UTB, said: “Gene is an experienced specialist finance professional and excellent leader, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to fill this important role by promoting from within.
“She has extensive knowledge and experience across the bridging and BTL markets, understands what brokers need from a specialist lender and shares our determination to combine great technology with fast decisions and genuinely personal service.”
Tolfree added: “Although Gene has been with UTB for little more than a year, the impact she has made in that time has been tremendous. I’d also like to thank Andrew Ferguson who helped us navigate the merging of the mortgages, BTL and bridging divisions and has now left the business following this restructure. We wish him well for the future.
“There’s a lot happening across BTL and bridging at UTB. The new bridging portal is already having a real impact, we’ve got further significant proposition enhancements coming over the next few weeks and we’re investing in roles across the team to support our growth ambitions. Gene is the perfect person to lead the next stage of our journey.”
Clohessy (pictured) said it was an exciting time to take on the role, adding: “We’ve recently launched the new bridging portal, made significant changes to our BTL criteria and processes and there’s an absolute stack of further improvements just around the corner.
“Aligning sales and underwriting more closely puts us in a strong position to deliver an even better experience for brokers. By using technology to reduce manual tasks and accelerate routine processes, we can free up our teams to focus on adding real value through meaningful broker conversations, deeper case understanding, and informed credit decisions. I’m incredibly excited about the opportunities ahead and what we can accomplish together.”