Masthaven announces promotions and expansion of leadership team

Masthaven Bank has continued to strengthen and diversify its leadership team with the announcement of the promotions of Shelley Connelly and Sabahe Mrizag to director level.

Shelley Connelly, former head of underwriting has been promoted to director of mortgage lending. In her new role, she will be responsible for the strategic direction of Masthaven’s residential and buy-to-let mortgage lending activities, whilst continuing to oversee the day-to-day running of lending operations.

Sabahe Mrizag has been promoted to director of business information. She’ll be responsible for the strategic direction of Masthaven’s Business Intelligence and Data Analysis Function, from driving the single source of truth to leading on the importance of data quality and maximising the use of data and analytics to provide insight into business operations.

These latest promotions reinforce Masthaven’s commitment to championing female talent. The Bank launched its Women in Leadership programme in 2020 in partnership with WDI Consulting, with an aim to shape leadership strategy and ensure women are represented at all levels. The programme provides a support network in the form of a close community of female leaders and involves weekly live webinars and individual coaching. Masthaven is also soon to roll out an emerging female leadership programme which will continue to strengthen the pipeline.

Tricia Halpin, chief people officer, at Masthaven, said: “Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Masthaven has been committed to investing in its people and strengthening our team as we deal with heightened demand. Shelley and Sabahe’s promotions are testament to this and I’m confident that with their experience and knowledge, they will make a huge contribution to our leadership team and help us achieve further success.

“It’s also brilliant to see the benefits of our Women in Leadership programme. Prioritising diversity and inclusion is vital and is a driving factor behind strong business performance. We’re delighted to celebrate female talent and it’s great to see concrete results from the programme.”