"The North West is a thriving business community, full of ambitious businesses that just need the right advice and support to help them grow."
The move cements the importance of the North to the SME lender, which opened its doors to business in November and has since received more than £500 million worth of loan enquiries.
Chris Stevens joins Recognise from Acre Lane Capital and is a specialist in bridging finance, bringing with him over two decades of experience with lenders including RBS and Revverbank. Chris will focus on Manchester, along with fellow new BDM, Michael Doxford, who joins from Aldermore Bank, having started his career in finance at Manchester Building Society.
Jonathan Kirk completes the line-up of new BDMs, joining from Assetz Capital, having previously worked at Aldermore Bank and Lloyds Bank. Jonathan is a commercial mortgage specialist and will focus on Yorkshire, where he will support SMEs looking to acquire their own premises and property investors.
The North West appointments follow the recent announcement of three new BDMs covering London and the Midlands.
Recognise provides lending to the UK’s SME sector, including commercial mortgages, bridging loans, private practice loans and working capital loans with professional buy-to-let mortgages to follow soon.
James Meigh, regional director for the North West and Yorkshire at Recognise, said: “The North West is a thriving business community, full of ambitious businesses that just need the right advice and support to help them grow.
“It’s a region Chris, Michael and Jonathan know well – it’s their home – so I am delighted to have them onboard, doing what they do best, which is working with great brokers and SMEs.”
Chris Stevens said: “SMEs need trusted support, fast decisions and quick access to funding. The reason I’ve joined Recognise is because it’s built its entire proposition to provide that, combining personal relationships with cutting-edge technology to ensure speed of delivery.”
Michael Doxford commented: “I’m delighted to be joining Recognise. I’ve been watching its progress since it started, so to be a part of that journey, especially here in the North West, is a great opportunity.”
Jonathan Kirk added: “It’s a perfect time to join Recognise because it understands the marketplace and the needs of SMEs. The property market is buoyant, so that means people need to act quickly when they see a property they want, whether it’s an SME expanding or buying new premises, or an investor adding to their portfolio.”
