Together promotes Sundeep Patel director of sales

Together’s Sundeep Patel is stepping up to become the specialist lender’s new director of sales as part of a restructure of its intermediary team.

Patel, who has been with the finance company since 2018, will start his new role this week and takes responsibility for an experienced team to build further opportunities with the specialist lender’s key partners.

Patel has been instrumental in raising the company’s brand profile to brokers and specialist distributers, particularly in London, creating and implementing the business’s intermediary relations strategy.

He said: “It will be something of a fresh start following the disruption within the industry because of Covid, and I’m looking forward to growing the business based on prudent lending, strong relationships and providing great outcomes for the key partners we work with.

“I believe in a ‘one team ethos’ with motivated colleagues who are all committed to the same strong values and that is what we have at Together. It’s a real positive for the business and bodes well for the future.”

Paula Purdy, who joined Together as a regional accounts manager in 2019 has been promoted to sales manager for the North, with Tanya Elmaz mirroring Paula’s senior role in the South. Between them, they will be responsible for eight account managers working across the UK, and will report to Patel.

Meanwhile, Joanna Elton has re-joined the lender as a specialist distribution manager in the North and Midlands, having previously worked for Together as a business development manager.

Marc Goldberg, commercial CEO at Together, said: “We are delighted that Sundeep has now taken up his new role to head up the intermediary sales channel and build further opportunities to drive our business forward.”

Chris Cummings joins Savills 

Savills has expanded its engineering & design consultancy team with the appointment of Chris Cummings who joins as head of technical sustainability based at the firm’s Finsbury Circus House office in the City of London.

Cummings has more than 24 years’ experience in all aspects of environmental and sustainability delivery, both in the UK and internationally. He joins Savills having worked for multi-disciplinary building services consultancies including Hilson Moran and ChapmanBDSP, where he specialised in building physics and early concept design. With a particular focus on master planning and high-rise development, he has delivered projects addressing all aspects of sustainability, energy and environmental impact on real estate across the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

At Savills, Cummings will help to further expand its energy and sustainability capability primarily helping to advise clients on devising and implement their sustainability strategies and path to net zero.

Cummings commented: “I very much look forward to working with people across the business to bring about meaningful change by helping our clients to set and achieve their sustainability goals.”

Jarrod Griffiths, head of UK engineering & design consultancy, adds: “We are delighted to welcome Chris to Savills. His appointment is an important step when it comes to supporting our clients with their sustainability and net zero ambitions, further strengthening the expertise and capability we have to offer as part of the energy and sustainability hub.”

MFB’s Gavin Richardson promoted after Steve Olejnik announces retirement

Mortgages for Business has promoted sales director Gavin Richardson to become its new chief operating officer, after current managing director Steve Olejnik announced that he is starting a phased retirement from the specialist buy-to-let broker.

As chief operating officer, Richardson will be responsible for all regulated, commercial and buy-to-let mortgage activity within the business.

He has previously worked for HSBC, Lloyds TSB and NatWest and has over 16 years’ experience in the financial services industry.

Richardson took a break from financial services in 2012 to spend three years working as a full-time rugby coach for England RFU, Harlequins RFU, and Sussex University.

Richardson’s appointment follows the news that sister company Keystone Property Finance has promoted its chief operations officer, Elise Coole, to the role of managing director.

Richardson will report into David Whittaker and departing MD Olejnik.

Whittaker, chief executive of The Property Business Group, said, “We have solid succession plans in place across the group and the move from COO to MD has worked well before.

“For instance, we gave Elise a twelve-month stint as chief operating officer at Keystone before we promoted her to managing director – and I am confident Gavin will be as successful in the COO role as Elise was.

“I am convinced he will tackle the job as ferociously as the rugby squads he coached tackled the opposition – and that he’ll kick a third national lockdown into touch.

“With Elise stepping up to the MD role at Keystone, I will have more time to dedicate to the brokerage – and shall endeavour not to get into too many rucks with lenders as I help manage the transition.”