"2023 marks a pivotal time for the UK mortgage market, especially for an intermediary community whose market share continues to grow at pace and is even predicted to reach 90% by 2024."
Barclays has announced the appointment of Martin Clift as Head of Intermediary Services & Transformation.
Martin has worked at Barclays for over 35 years in a variety of roles spanning large scale distribution, operations leadership and strategic transformation.
He previously managed Barclays' mortgage processing and contact centres and was head of Home Solutions Direct.
Martin commented: "2023 marks a pivotal time for the UK mortgage market, especially for an intermediary community whose market share continues to grow at pace and is even predicted to reach 90% by 2024.
"Barclays has long been committed to the intermediary channel and in delivering the products and service levels which matter for advisers and their clients. We are a lender who has collaborated closely with our strategic partners over this time, and I feel privileged to have been offered such a position with a team already in place who are real experts in their field to support me.
"I am certainly no stranger to the bank, the mortgage market or the intermediary sector. I have been with Barclays for over 35 years. This has incorporated a wide and varied career, specialising in large scale distribution, operations leadership and strategic transformation. As well as leading global operations teams supporting secured retail lending, business banking & wealth, I have provided pan business leadership for key support services, including workforce management, operational rigour & controls plus service & supplier management.
"This included managing Barclays mortgage processing and contact centres and I was previously Head of Home Solutions Direct, successfully transforming the mortgage business performance through a period of significant regulatory change. My aim is to bring all of this collective experience to my new role and integrate positive change when and where I can across the Barclays intermediary proposition.
"We have seen just how resilient and robust the UK housing and mortgage markets were in the later part of 2022 and we enter a new year which is likely to generate as many opportunities as it does challenges for lenders and distributors. And this is especially apparent for an intermediary market whose levels of experience and expertise will be so highly prized and in such great demand.
"From a distribution perspective, we are always looking to improve our service offering and I am keen to hear feedback from all our key distribution partners about how we can embark on positive change. As outlined in my job title, a critical focal point in my new role will be to drive transformation from a product, service and operations perspective and I hope that you will play an integral role in helping me and the team shape this journey."
