Find out who's stepping into new roles at Fiduciam, Nottingham Building Society, and Equity Release Group
Three financial services firms have announced recent appointments as they expand operations and strengthen leadership teams.
Bridging and development lender Fiduciam has promoted Cristina Villén (pictured far left) to director, marking a milestone in her career with the lender. Villén began as an intern in 2016 during a London exchange programme and returned to Fiduciam after completing a dual degree in Business Administration and Law. She has since played a leading role in growing Fiduciam’s Spanish loan book, helping increase it from EUR 20 million (£17.3 million) in 2018 to EUR 80 million (£17.3 million) the following year.
By 2021, Villén became head of the Spanish team, joining the lender’s management team and closing over 100 transactions worth more than EUR 400 million (£345.5 million). Spain is now Fiduciam’s second-largest market in Europe. For 2025, the company plans to finance €600 million (£518 million) in gross development value in Spain, focusing on affordable housing and tourism investment.
Villén said she was “incredibly proud” to take on the new role and “grateful for the opportunities Fiduciam has given me to grow and lead.”
Meanwhile, Nottingham Building Society has finalised a restructure of its intermediary sales team with the appointment of Beckie Morton (pictured second from left) as national account manager. Morton joins the mutual with 25 years of experience, including senior roles at Bank of Ireland, Finova and Dojo.
The appointment completes the sales leadership team under newly appointed sales director Matt Kingston, who succeeded Alison Pallett following her retirement. Kingston spent the past six months overhauling the structure to support growth, deepen broker relationships and improve mortgage offerings.
Morton said she was “excited to be part of this next chapter,” adding that the society’s “commitment to making homeownership more accessible aligns perfectly with my own values.”
Elsewhere, Equity Release Group (ERG), the parent company of Equity Release Supermarket (ERS), has appointed three new independent advisers to its advisory division, expanding its national coverage.
The new hires – Gavin Alden (pictured centre), Stuart Young (pictured second from right), and Hayley Larham (pictured far right) – each bring extensive experience in later life lending.
Alden has more than 25 years in financial services, while Young and Larham have established reputations across the equity release market. Larham, who won a Women Recognition Award in 2023, said she was “extremely proud to work for Equity Release Supermarket, a company that shares my ethos and values.”
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