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Darrell Walker has been unveiled as head of mortgage sales & distribution at ModaMortgages, a new specialist buy to let mortgage lender from Chetwood Financial.

Founded in 2016, Wrexham-based Chetwood is a digital bank soon to launch ModaMortgages, an intermediary only buy to let lender.

Darrell has been with Chetwood for the past 12 months, helping to develop the ModaMortgages proposition and build out the team. As the lender readies for launch, Darrell has been announced as the company’s new sales and distribution lead.

Darrell began his career in financial services in 1991, holding roles with Coventry Building Society, Barclays Bank, Bank of Ireland, Lloyds Banking Group and Legal & General over the next 22 years. From 2014 to 2020, he worked at OneSavings Bank, building and developing the Prestige Finance and InterBay Commercial sales and distribution propositions, before also leading the group’s product and proposition function.

More recently, Darrell spent two-and-a-half years in product development and sales at Shawbrook Bank.

Chetwood recently announced that Ian Lonergan is its new group chair. Ian was previously CEO and founder of Precise Mortgages, which grew to be one of the largest buy to let and residential specialist mortgage lenders in the UK. Like Darrell, he too has been helping shape the ModaMortgages proposition over the past year.

Darrell said: “Over the past year, we've been working tirelessly behind the scenes to develop a proposition that will really resonate with brokers and landlords, and I think we’ve done just that. As a straight-talking specialist lender, ModaMortgages aims to make the buy to let mortgages process smarter, faster and simpler, focusing on the essentials to ensure a fast and transparent service.

“I'm thrilled to be leading the sales and distribution team, and it's great to go public with this news. We're building a brilliant team of people who'll deliver on the exciting vision we have for ModaMortgages.”

Chetwood’s founder and CEO, Andy Mielczarek, added: “Darrell understands the specialist lending market inside out, and has been instrumental in developing the ModaMortgages proposition. We're delighted to have him as part of the Chetwood team.

“At Chetwood we create financial products and brands with a real point of difference. ModaMortgages will achieve this by delivering an exceptional service to brokers, taking time and stress out of the process of getting a buy to let mortgage for their client."