Redwood Bank has appointed Chris Butler as regional development manager, with a remit to build broker relationships across the North-East and Yorkshire as the Letchworth and Warrington-based lender pursues its 2026 lending expansion.

Butler joins from Yorkshire Building Society, where he worked in the intermediary market, and previously spent 19 years at Yorkshire Bank across retail and commercial finance. Redwood said the hire reflects growing demand for specialist commercial lending in the region and the bank’s intention to scale its broker-facing operation in a disciplined way.

The hire in context

Gary Wilkinson, chief executive and co-founder of Redwood Bank, said the appointment reflects “the pace of our growth and our ambition to continue building a stronger presence across key regional markets,” adding that Butler’s existing broker relationships would support the bank’s ability to complete more deals through 2026 and beyond.

Butler himself pointed to product flexibility as a draw. In his statement, he cited extended commercial interest-only terms, revised affordability metrics and increased portfolio lending limits as indicators that Redwood is actively evolving its proposition in response to broker feedback rather than offering a static product set.

Market context

The hire is a modest but telling indicator of where competitive pressure is building in UK specialist lending. Challenger business banks including Redwood compete in a segment that larger high-street lenders have historically under-served, particularly for SMEs seeking commercial mortgages or property-backed finance outside standard credit profiles.

Broker distribution is the dominant acquisition channel in specialist lending, which means regional development managers with established intermediary networks carry direct commercial value. Recruiting from well-regarded regional institutions such as Yorkshire Bank and Yorkshire Building Society is a deliberate positioning choice: it signals continuity of relationship style rather than a technology-led disintermediation of the broker.

The broader macroeconomic context adds urgency to the hire. UK commercial property lending has faced a cautious period as interest rates remained elevated through 2024 and 2025, compressing deal volumes across the specialist sector. As rate expectations shift, lenders with regional capacity in place stand to capture demand more quickly than those building from scratch. Redwood’s investment in relationship-driven headcount, rather than solely in digital underwriting tools, suggests a view that the intermediary channel will drive origination in its target markets for the foreseeable future.

From a regulatory standpoint, the FCA‘s ongoing focus on fair value and consumer outcomes extends to the SME lending space, and specialist lenders face scrutiny over affordability assessments and the suitability of complex structures such as commercial interest-only products. Redwood’s emphasis on credit and underwriting discipline, referenced in Butler’s own comments, will be watched by brokers who have seen other niche lenders pull back after rapid growth exposed weaknesses in risk frameworks.

The bank did not disclose lending volume targets or the number of additional broker relationships it expects Butler to originate.

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