Catalyst bolsters lending team with five new finance specialists

Specialist lender, Catalyst, has bolstered its lending team with five new hires.

As part of the lender’s 2024 growth strategy, appointments have been made across its Credit, Servicing and New Business Teams.

The new hires are Danny Scoltock, Gareth Colston, Andrea Armillotta, Jaimee Coombes, and Jade Miave.

Bringing a wealth of specialist finance industry expertise, the new starters having worked for a variety of well-regarded lenders and intermediaries, including Equifnance, West One, TAB, Nationwide, The Mortgage Works, and Positive Lending.

Danny Scoltock, Senior Credit Analyst at Catalyst, says:

“I have over 12 years’ experience in specialist finance. I first learnt underwriting with Equifinance, where I moved into bridging and development finance.

I then worked in sales for West One, before going back to underwriting with TAB, where I was the head of the underwriting team.

I am excited to join Catalyst, I can continue to learn and grow from their experienced team, whilst utilising my previous experience to help support the continued growth of the business.

The team have been incredibly warm and welcoming and seeing the culture they have built was also a big draw for me too!”

Gareth Colston, Senior Internal BDM at Catalyst, says:

“Over the last 10 years, I worked at the specialist packager Positive Lending.

I dealt with all types of lending including bridging, commercial and second charge mortgages. After obtaining my CeMAP, I moved into advising and recommending mortgages.

I’m excited about this new challenge, Catalyst is a perfect environment to increase my experience in the financial industry; I’ve worked as a broker and now I want to experience lending.

We have some great product launches coming up and I’m looking forward to using my experience as a Packager to assist intermediaries with great service and support.”

Andrea Armillotta, Credit Analyst says:

“The bridging finance industry presents unique challenges compared to regulated sectors.

My background in working with limited companies and portfolio clients from the regulated side adds a distinct perspective, contributing valuable insights.

I’m thrilled to be part of this team, where the depth of experience offers a rich learning environment and engaging business discussions.

Beyond the professional aspects, the workplace culture encourages a relaxed atmosphere, providing moments of laughter and activities like ping pong to unwind from the demands of a busy day.”

Jade Miave, Credit Administrator at Catalyst, says:

“Straight after finishing my degree in Modern Languages, I decided to step into the world of finance, specifically the mortgage industry.

Before joining Catalyst, I worked at Nationwide in their Buy-To-Let team.

I am thrilled to join Catalyst, as I am eager to learn more and to expand my industry-specific skills further.”

Jaimee Coombes, Servicing Administrator at Catalyst, says:

“Before joining Catalyst, I worked in wealth management. I am looking forward to applying the experience I gained from my previous job to my role here, as well as gaining more knowledge about property finance as I progress.

I felt Catalyst was a good company to work for as they were very welcoming and friendly throughout my application process.”

Commenting on Jaimee’s appointment, Amy Rickman, Head of Servicing at Catalyst, says: 

“The role of Servicing Administrator is an important one, they support our borrowers during the redemption process.

At Catalyst, we pride ourselves on putting our customers first, from issuing the initial terms until redemption of the facility.

Servicing administrators need to be adaptable, pick-up tasks quickly, and support any borrowers who may be struggling to repay on time.

Jaimee comes from a financial background, is keen to progress and has heaps of positivity, which make her a perfect addition to Catalyst.”

Commenting on the new hires, Anna Bennett, Marketing Director at Catalyst, says:

“Over the last few months, we have appointed some fantastic new talent, meet our 2024 ‘fab five’!

Each of our new starters will play an important role in Catalyst’s future growth.

Danny and Gareth are highly experienced in specialist lending, we have worked alongside them for years and they’ve hit the ground running, bringing great lending and broker insight to the team.

Andrea joins us with incredible knowledge of regulation and portfolio clients from his time at Nationwide and The Mortgage Works.

Jaimee joins the servicing team, and we can already see her passion for customer service shine through.

And Jade, who joins our Credit Team, is doing a great job ensuring loan applications progress smoothly to completion.

We are thrilled to have them on board and look forward to watching their careers progress to the next level.”