Yorkshire Building Society has appointed Amanda Bryden as Director of Distribution and incoming Managing Director of Accord Mortgages as the Bradford-based mutual looks to accelerate growth in the intermediary mortgage market.
Bryden joins with more than 25 years of experience across mortgages and intermediary distribution, most recently with Lloyds Banking Group, where she served as Head of Halifax Intermediaries and Scottish Widows Bank.
She has also previously held senior positions with HSBC, Santander and Coventry Building Society.
The appointment will see Bryden join Yorkshire Building Society’s Homes senior leadership team, with responsibility for building on Accord’s position within the broker market.
She will succeed Jeremy Duncombe, who has led Accord Mortgages since 2018 and announced plans to retire earlier this year.
Duncombe will remain with the business until the end of 2026 and work alongside Bryden during the transition.
Focus on intermediary growth
The appointment comes as Yorkshire Building Society continues to develop its intermediary mortgage proposition.
Accord Mortgages, the Society’s intermediary-only lender, offers residential and buy-to-let mortgages through brokers and has been investing in both its service and proposition.
Recent developments have included a dedicated larger-loans service combining specialist underwriting with individual case ownership for borrowers with more complex income or circumstances.
Yorkshire Building Society has said Bryden’s appointment reflects its ambition to grow further within the intermediary market while retaining the broker relationships and underwriting approach that have become central to Accord’s proposition.
Tom Simpson, Managing Director of Homes at Yorkshire Building Society, described the appointment as a clear indication of the Society’s growth ambitions.
He said Bryden would build on the foundations established by Duncombe and the existing Accord team, while bringing significant intermediary market experience to the role.
The Society has also reiterated its intention to retain human judgement within underwriting while using technology and improved tools to make the mortgage process faster and more responsive.
Broker relationships remain central
For Bryden, maintaining Accord’s relationship with mortgage intermediaries will be one of the immediate priorities.
Speaking following the announcement, she highlighted the strength of the brand’s broker relationships and said she intends to use feedback from brokers and colleagues to identify areas where processes can be improved and unnecessary friction removed.
Her arrival comes at a competitive time for the UK mortgage market, with lenders continuing to compete on pricing, affordability and service as borrowers navigate changing interest rates and increasingly varied financial circumstances.
The intermediary market remains particularly important for lenders attempting to reach customers whose borrowing requirements may not fit straightforward high-street lending criteria.
For Yorkshire Building Society, strengthening Accord’s leadership also reinforces the importance of intermediary distribution within its wider mortgage strategy.
Bryden’s appointment adds another experienced senior mortgage leader to Yorkshire’s financial services community and comes as one of the region’s largest financial institutions looks to increase its presence within the national broker market.
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