UK Finance appoints Charles Roe as director of mortgages

UK Finance has appointed former Nottingham Building Society chief risk officer Charles Roe as director of mortgages.

Roe will be responsible for leading the trade body’s mortgage policy development, reporting to Eric Leenders, managing director personal finance at UK Finance and the chair of the mortgage product and services Board.

He will join the organisation in August and will also work closely with Jackie Bennett OBE, formerly director of mortgages, who will remain with UK Finance as a senior advisor.

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Prior to joining the Nottingham Building Society in April 2018, Roe was a director for Grant Thornton UK LLP’s Financial Services Regulatory Practice where he advised on the strategic and day to day challenges arising from the regulators’ focus on governance, control, organisational culture, compliance and the management of risk.

Between April 2005 to July 2015, Roe worked at the Financial Conduct Authority (formerly the FSA) where he held senior posts including head of department – mortgages & mutuals, developing and implementing the conduct supervision strategy for the UK mortgage market; including building societies, mortgage intermediaries and credit unions.

Leenders said: “The industry has introduced a number of measures to support customers through the coronavirus crisis and as we emerge from lockdown, continued support for those who need it will be vital.

“Charles’ significant experience of risk, compliance and regulation combined with commercial and consulting background will no doubt prove invaluable to all our members across the mortgage industry. He is the ideal candidate to take over as director of mortgages during these unprecedented times. We are very much looking forward to him joining us in this key role.

“Our thanks also go to Jackie Bennett OBE, who as the preceding director has ably steered the mortgages policy team since 2017 and, over the last few months, as senior advisor. We are delighted that she will continue to work with Charles and the team in this role as she explores other opportunities.”

Roe added: “I’m very much looking forward to joining the UK Finance mortgages team. Housing is always a priority and never more so than over the last few months. Ensuring customers continue to get the support they need, both now and in the future, will be top of members’ agendas, and as part of the team, we will be working closely with them to achieve this.”