Introducing our Digital SME Lending Partner team
In this article, Faye Cooper, Senior Marketing Executive for SME Markets interviews Chris Cornwell, Head of Mid-ticket Lending to explore the role of his team in providing an enhanced level of service to brokers for large and complex asset finance deals.
At a glance
Faye: So Chris, what is a Shawbrook ‘Lending Partner’?
Chris: Our Lending Partners are highly experienced asset finance credit professionals who support brokers with their Digital SME, mid-ticket cases.
The senior members of the team are all ex-Shawbrook Credit Underwriters who liaise with our Business Development Managers (BDMs) and their broker partners to help smooth the customer journey from the proposal stage, through to facility approval
Faye: Can you give us insight into what the Lending Partners do?
Chris: The Lending Partner will assess the information provided by the broker and will consider if any additional information or explanations are needed. In a short space of time, the proposal is then presented jointly with the BDM to a daily “Sounding Board” where Credit Underwriters and Asset Management colleagues are on hand to match against Shawbrook’s credit appetite, and further guide the level of depth required in the final proposal.
If a customer visit is appropriate, the Lending Partner can undertake this with or without the broker in attendance. They will then write the proposal and present it to Credit for sanction, while ensuring brokers and clients are kept informed of progress every step of the way.
Faye: What value does the Lending Partner team bring to the broker relationship?
Chris: This is a unique value-added service which gives brokers and their clients an enhanced level of support on complex transactions. Our Lending Partners achieve a high acceptance rate of circa 90% with Credit, thanks to the breadth of industry knowledge and experience within the team, but also their understanding of Shawbrook’s policy and appetite, having worked in credit and underwriting roles previously.
Having a dedicated specialist to support cases on this level also eases the pressure on the Business Development team, giving them space to assist brokers with new enquiries and support new brokers through the panel onboarding process.
Meet the team:
Chris Cornwell, Head of Mid Ticket Lending - Chris has 40 years of experience in Asset Finance with roles in sales, underwriting, policy management and portfolio management.
Collette Goodman, Senior Lending Manager - Collette has 25+ years in Asset Finance roles in risk analysis and credit underwriting and is Shawbrook’s Professions Loans expert.
Richard Chapman, Lending Manager - Richard had an ACIB-qualified career with Barclays before entering Asset Finance in 2000. He worked as an Underwriter and Business Development Manager at Shawbrook before joining the Lending Partner team.
Shuja Khwaja, Lending Manager - Previous experience includes working at the Royal Bank of Scotland as a Commercial Banking Senior Manager. Shuja joined Shawbrook’s Lending Partner team in 2023 from a corporate credit risk analyst role at BMW Finance.
Kim Maltby, Lending Partner - Joined Shawbrook as a Business Development Manager but is now a key member of the Lending Partner team, involved in both Flow and Mid-ticket transactions.
Bhoj Gurung, Lending Partner - Has worked in Asset Finance since 2017, joining Shawbrook in 2024 from a credit role in Metrobank.
If you want to find out more about working with us, please get in touch with our expert team today.
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