Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has appointed Danny Kiely as head of sales for its specialist mortgages and bridging finance divisions. Kiely starts in the newly created role as the bank looks to continue to invest in its broker proposition and mark the next stage of its expansion. He has been promoted from his role as regional account manager, where he built strong relationships with brokers across the UK and supported complex deals with a solutions-led approach. Kiely will work with HTB’s sales director for specialist mortgages and bridging finance, Andrea Glasgow, supporting her in leading the bank’s national sales team.

West One has launched its commercial mortgage offering across England and Wales, following a successful pilot with a selected group of brokers. The commercial mortgage product range starts from 6.69% and 7.44% on semi-commercial and commercial properties respectively at up to 75% LTV. West One said that the pilot programme created an opportunity to evaluate its initial market offering and the extent to which it met the needs of commercial borrowers. The specialist lender has also upheld its commitment to respond to all communications within 24 to 48 hours through the pilot.

Nivo has become one of the first financial services organisations in the UK to achieve ISO 42001 certification, which is the new international standard for artificial intelligence management systems. ISO 42001 sets out requirements for governance, accountability and ongoing oversights to promote the safe and effective use of AI. The certification also provides reassurance to lenders and brokers using AI that the technology that they are using to streamline operations is not only effective, but it also governed to internationally recognised standards. The certification adds to Nivo’s existing ISO 27001 accreditation for information security.

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