Together appoints John Barker as CEO for personal finance

Specialist lender Together has promoted financial services expert John Barker to the role of Chief Executive Officer to lead its personal finance division.

John, who joined as the Group’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) last year will take up his new role as CEO for the group subsidiary, Together Personal Finance, following approval by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The specialist lender – which has a loan book of £7.4billion – provides products including first charge and Consumer Buy-to-Let (CBTL) mortgages, second charge loans and regulated bridging finance.

John Barker said: “Together is a fantastic company with a real entrepreneurial spirit as well as a strong appetite to provide the mortgages and secured loans our customers want to help them achieve their property ambitions.

“I’m really passionate about Together’s common sense lending approach and its dedication to providing flexible products, often to borrowers who may not fit the strict criteria of mainstream lenders.

“As Personal Finance CEO I will be driving forward the division, working with more mortgage brokers, financial intermediaries and customers to promote Together’s brand and products. I look forward to contributing to its future growth, working with a dedicated team as we realise our vision of becoming the UK’s most valued lender.”

John, has over 19 years’ experience of financial services, having started his career with Co-op Insurance. He later joined Capita, where he worked for more than a decade, becoming a Managing Director within the group in 2019.

A new position with the business transformation provider Target Group as Group Chief Operating Officer followed before his promotion to Chief Executive Officer, a position in which he was approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to hold a Senior Management Function (SMF1).

Since joining Together, Barker has been involved in the major focus on innovation and transforming the digital journey for brokers and personal finance customers to access Together’s finance.

Together Personal Finance Chairman, Richard Gregory OBE, said: “We are delighted to announce John’s appointment. He brings extensive experience to this role and his internal move is a testament to his rapid impact and commitment to Together. I look forward to seeing our Personal Finance business thrive under John’s leadership.”