Redwood Bank has appointed Chris Butler as regional development manager as it looks to expand its commercial lending activity across the North-East and Yorkshire.
Butler (pictured) joins the specialist bank with more than 20 years’ experience in banking across retail and commercial finance.
He spent 19 years at Yorkshire Bank and most recently worked at Yorkshire Building Society, where he was responsible for developing relationships with brokers across the intermediary market.
In his new role, Butler will focus on strengthening broker relationships throughout the North-East and Yorkshire, supporting Redwood Bank’s growth ambitions over the coming years.
Butler says: “Redwood has exciting growth plans and a real appetite to do more in the commercial space. I was impressed with the structure and flexibility they offer to support brokers in the specialist lending space, with strong credit and underwriting backing their lending strategy.
“What stood out to me was Redwood’s willingness to continue evolving its proposition in response to broker and customer needs. From extended commercial interest-only terms and revised affordability metrics, through to increased portfolio lending limits, the Bank is creating greater flexibility and better outcomes for brokers and their clients.”
Butler said building and maintaining strong relationships would remain central to his role.
He says: “This job is all about relationships, meeting people, building trust and delivering on what you say you’re going to do.”
Commenting on his decision to join the bank, Butler added: “What excites me most is getting out there, raising awareness of Redwood, meeting new brokers and doing business I haven’t been able to do before. Redwood’s flexibility and broad product range mean we can support a wider variety of deals across different parts of the market.
“It feels like a family organisation. It really does seem like everybody gets on with everybody and it’s a community, a real family.”
Gary Wilkinson, chief executive and co-founder of Redwood Bank, said the appointment reflects the bank’s continued expansion.
He says: “Chris’s appointment reflects the pace of our growth and our ambition to continue building a stronger presence across key regional markets. As demand for specialist lending increases, we are investing in experienced, broker focused talent to help us scale in a disciplined and sustainable way.
“Chris brings deep market knowledge and long-standing broker relationships, which will be instrumental as we expand our lending activity across the North-East and Yorkshire. His appointment strengthens our ability to support more brokers and customers, complete more deals, and deliver against our growth plans for 2026 and beyond.
“We are continuing to evolve our proposition and broaden our reach, and people like Chris are central to that journey. His experience and approach align perfectly with our focus on building a responsive, relationship led bank that is well positioned for the future.”
