Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has made two new hires, growing its portfolio management with the recruitment of Victoria Baily and Graham Smith into significant roles within its specialist mortgages division. Baily will lead the new portfolio management team, joining from Secure Trust Bank where she spent nine years, most recently as head of portfolio management. She also spent eight years in similar property-focused posts at Barclays Corporate Banking. Smith joins as portfolio manager, focusing on the ongoing management and review of existing borrowers. He also joins HTB from Secure Trust Bank, where he spent over four years as a relationship support specialist and relationship support manger. Smith has also held a variety of relationship management roles at Lloyds Bank.

Coventry Building Society has launched a new savings account for its loyal members, offering a rate of 6.75% and can be opened to those who have been with the society continuously since at least 1 January 2023. The account lasts for 12 months and savers can deposit up to £250 each month. If the maximum £250 is saved every month, after 12 months, the amount saved with interest earned would be £3,109.43. The new ‘loyalty regular saver (2)’ account is the latest addition to the society’s reward package, which has seen its members receive £342m in extra value during 2023 from savings rates that are higher than the market average for both new and closed accounts.

MKC Wealth has appointed Sarah Waring as financial planning director. Waring joins the independent wealth management firm, which is backed by Cabot Square Capital, from Quilter, where she headed up its private client financial planning team. She began her career as an independent financial adviser at Buckles Investment Services, before moving to Sanlam Wealth Planning, where she was promoted to regional sales manager. Waring joined Quilter in 2015 to set up and run the firm’s Chester office, before further promotion in 2018 to client and proposition director.

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