FR: Tell us about your role at Vernon Building Society and how you came to work in the specialist lending sector.
I’ve worked in financial services since finishing university and held a range of roles before deciding in 2013/14 with two partners to start a business of our own. What began as a small lead generation company servicing consumer credit and insurance out of a small office in Stockport grew into a multi million pound organisation employing around 80 people delivering both first and second charge mortgages.
2020 was an exceptionally challenging year for everyone, and for personal reasons, I felt it was the right time to step away from that project and look for something with a better work-life balance. That’s when I saw the opportunity at Vernon Building Society and decided to experience mortgages from the lender side of the table.
As head of distribution, I’m responsible for all front line customer engagement across the Society - covering intermediary mortgages, direct mortgage advice, our branch network and savings members. Having built and scaled a business myself, I place a huge emphasis on the customer journey. Whether someone is saving or borrowing from us, the experience matters, and ensuring consistency and quality across every touchpoint is central to my role.
FR: What drew you to the mutual model, and how do you see your role shaping Vernon Building Society’s strategic direction?
Mutuals are fundamentally about people, community and members, and that aligns very closely with how I approach business. Being part of a local building society makes that connection even stronger, you feel genuinely invested in what you’re doing and who you’re serving.
FR: The Vernon has been helping borrowers and savers since 1924. How has the society’s approach to lending evolved in recent years?
When I first joined the Society, the mortgage journey was entirely paper based. Since then, we’ve made significant progress toward a more digital and modern approach. It’s not the finished article, but it’s a meaningful shift, with much more on the way.
Equally important was recognising that although we had a genuinely broad and flexible lending proposition, we weren’t communicating it clearly to the market. We had become something of a ‘best kept secret’, with products that often felt one size fits all. Over time, we’ve focused on sharpening our identity, improving visibility through sourcing platforms, strengthening relationships with networks and clubs, refining pricing and targeting brokers who specialise in more complex customer needs.
FR: Vernon Building Society specialises in complex and non standard lending. Why specialise in this area?
The reality is that this has always been an area where the Vernon has performed well. Our challenge wasn’t capability, it was visibility. We were delivering solutions for complex cases very effectively but weren’t telling the industry clearly enough that this was what we did, and that we did it well.
In 2025, we’ve further refined our proposition, clarified criteria across platforms and aligned our product suite more deliberately to specific customer needs and priced accordingly. The response has been immediate. It’s interesting that it can feel like we’re new entrants into the space, when in fact it’s something we’ve always excelled at, and that tells me the messaging is now landing.
FR: What’s driving the expansion into later life, complex prime, professionals and expat buy-to-let? What gaps are you seeing in the market?
I’d argue the market is tilting back toward specialism. Larger lenders are now broadening their offerings into areas mutuals have traditionally served and consumer needs are evolving quickly. We’ve seen clear shifts around JBSP lending, treatment of income at older ages, and more complex employment structures.
Areas such as adverse and visas are also becoming more prominent, driven by changing government policy and renewed activity in the housing market.
FR: Manual underwriting and personal assessment remain central to your model. How does that work alongside technology?
This is about balance. I’m a strong advocate of technology where it enhances the customer experience, but not where it removes accountability or judgement. We’re about to embark on a significant technology transformation over the next two years to become a truly modern mutual, making us easier to work with for brokers and members alike.
Crucially, technology will support, not replace, our personal decision making. It will give us efficiency and consistency, while preserving our ability to step in, assess cases individually, and apply judgement where it makes sense. That’s how we continue to say yes, where others may only see policy barriers.
FR: You offer later life lending with no maximum age limits. Why was removing age caps important?
People’s working lives, lifestyles and borrowing needs are far more varied than they used to be. Our later life products are structured to support different stages and transitions - whether someone is moving into retirement, already retired, or looking at longer term options through RIO.
FR: The new complex prime and professional products offer greater flexibility. What does this say about your approach to criteria?
These products reflect how people actually earn today. Beyond flexibility on loan-to-income, we’ll consider one year’s accounts, future forecasts and more complex income structures, where appropriate. That reinforces our personal approach to lending.
Importantly, this isn’t a shift in philosophy. We’ve never relied on blunt affordability caps. Instead, we’ve always assessed true affordability through income multiples, interest rate stress testing and sustainable disposable income. What’s changed is that we’ve made it much clearer for brokers to see where we will lend, removing ambiguity and confusion.
FR: What’s your message to intermediaries considering working with Vernon?
The strongest feedback we receive is around our personal, flexible and common sense approach. Where cases are borderline or sit in grey areas, our intermediary team is accessible and supportive.
Brokers also value our responsiveness. They can speak to real decision makers, get answers quickly and have meaningful conversations about cases. We understand brokers operate at pace, and our job is to complement that.
FR: What’s the biggest misconception about building societies and specialist lenders?
Pace and technology are the biggest misconceptions. While that may once have been true, societies are investing heavily in modernising. What we may lack in scale, we make up for in service, judgement and flexibility.
Before joining the Vernon, I’d also naturally focused on high volume lenders unless a client was clearly specialist. Brokers are now realising that working with societies is far simpler and more efficient than they expected, with competitive pricing increasingly part of the equation.
FR: What’s your outlook for the specialist lending market going forward?
I expect the market to become more crowded, as lenders broaden their propositions, which is a positive for consumers and brokers. Specialist lending is increasingly seen as an opportunity rather than a niche.
Market confidence has returned, with pricing stabilised, affordability clearer and housing stock moving again. As demand grows and lenders adapt policies, I think we’ll see a lot of innovation and evolution over the next year and beyond.
FR: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about specialist lending?
Don’t assume policy or product needs to fit neatly into a box. Judgement matters - within the boundaries of risk, compliance and cost.
By observing brokers, listening to feedback and understanding customers’ real needs, lenders can adapt in ways that benefit everyone. Specialist lending works best when it’s collaborative, responsive and grounded in common sense.
