‘There’s always a solution, even in the trickiest situations’

By Tony Sanchez 20th May 2026

In our latest Five Minute Interview, Tony Sanchez speaks with Terry Woodley, Managing Director of Development Finance at Shawbrook.

Terry joined Shawbrook in 2011 and, following a stint in Credit Risk, his focus turned to the property market.

Having 25 years of experience in property and banking world, Terry championed the cause to support property developers and in 2016 established a dedicated specialist team, introducing Shawbrook’s Development Finance offering to the marketplace.

Since inception, Terry and his team have delivered over £3bn in funding solutions for established property developers.

With a unique set up where they support clients throughout the life of their projects, the Development Finance team has grown significantly during this time and is now a 55-strong division assisting developers throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

What is the best thing about being in the Bridging and Development Finance business?

Being part of the growth journey from start to end – meeting developers, finding funding solutions for them and then watching the sites getting built.

What keeps you focused?

Customer service. It’s a priority of mine to make sure we are offering the best service and solutions to help developers grow their business.

What qualities do you look for in your employees or colleagues?

Having the ability to problem solve and work under tight time frames is quite important in this industry, but it’s equally as valuable that they enjoy the sector, want to make a difference and can have fun while doing it all.

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

I’m an optimist. With over 30 years of experience in finance, I’m no stranger to downsides.

Rather than dwelling on it, it has helped me believe there’s always a solution, even in the trickiest of situations.

What did you want to be as a child?

I wanted to work with animals, either at a zoo or as a vet – anywhere you can spend all day looking after them or playing with them.

What will be the greatest challenge facing the Bridging and Development Finance industry in the coming months?

Within Development Finance, it will be issues in the Middle East as build costs rise, and sales slowdown.

In Bridging, it would be the recent fraud cases with MFS and what this means for regulation, as well as the potential for lenders to step away from the sector as a result.

Who or what makes you laugh?

Peter Kay. I love stand-up comedy and going to watch it live.

Do you dread Monday mornings?

I don’t dread Monday mornings, and a big reason for that is the great team I work with.

I have a great deal of trust in them to handle any issues, and I can rest assured knowing that they will also support one another if anything arises.

I usually start the day talking to members about their weekends and families, rather than jumping in first thing to resolve something. It’s always a nice way to start the week.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My time management. It’s easy to be pulled in different directions and lose track of time.

AI is helping me with structuring my time better, so I am expecting to see improvements … that or eating too many chocolate Hob Nobs. A whole pack with a cup of tea!

With whom would you most like to have dinner?

That’s a tough one. On the one hand, it would be nice to sit down with someone like Richard Branson and hear how he built his business and tackled any challenges, but I think I would go with the person that would provide the most entertainment and fun – Bob Mortimer. He has the best stories.