Ex-banker appointed by specialist lender to advise its commercial board

Specialist lender Together, which has a loan book of £3.47 billion, has hired Lancashire banking heavyweight Simon Raine as an advisor to its board.

Simon – who has more than 35 years’ experience in financial services – joins from Handelsbanken, where he held a number of roles including manager of the Preston branch.

During a 17-year career with the Swedish bank, he was part of a close-knit team which developed its corporate and private business. He also sat on its credit committee and Northern Leadership Group.

In his new role at Together, Simon will play a crucial role in advising board members responsible for the well-established business’ corporate and commercial lending.

He will support clients including wealth managers, developers, investors and entrepreneurs, as the group expands its commercial and corporate distribution channels.

Simon, who lives in east Lancashire, said: “I’m really excited to be joining at a time when Together is realising its ambitious growth plans, as I have known and admired the business for a long time. The group has an enviable history in the specialist lending industry and has become well-respected for its innovative financial products and its commitment to providing the best possible service for its clients. It’s a great opportunity to join as the business continues its expansion.”

Simon’s appointment will bolster Together’s team of nearly 800 employees based at its headquarters in Cheadle, south Manchester.

Marc Goldberg, the group’s commercial CEO said: “We’re delighted to welcome Simon as a board adviser. His experience speaks for itself and he has a wealth of knowledge to help us promote and enhance the core strengths of the business to new introducers and clients.”

This month, the lender announced that its loan book had reached a new high of £3.74 billion in the quarter to March 31, 2019. Meanwhile, its average monthly loan originations were up 20.5 per cent on the same period last year, while pre-tax profit remained strong at £31.4m, up 8.8 per cent on the same quarter last year. The group remained highly cash generative, with cash receipts of £376.7m for the period.

Simon is a non-executive director for the Jockey Club at Haydock Park, a board advisor at BBS Law Ltd, and Bridge Insurance Brokers Ltd. He is also a director at specialist business advisors FRP Advisory.