Redwood Bank strengthens growth plans with key business development hire

Redwood Bank has appointed Chris Butler as regional development manager as part of its ongoing lending expansion.

Chris brings more than 20 years’ banking experience across retail and commercial finance, including 19 years at Yorkshire Bank and most recently at Yorkshire Building Society, where he worked closely with brokers across the intermediary market.

In his new role, Chris will focus on developing broker relationships in the North-East and Yorkshire, supporting Redwood’s growth plans in 2026 and beyond. 

Chris said: “Redwood has exciting growth plans and a real appetite to do more in the commercial space. I was impressed with the structure and flexibility they offer to support brokers in the specialist lending space, with strong credit and underwriting backing their lending strategy.

“What stood out to me was Redwood’s willingness to continue evolving its proposition in response to broker and customer needs. From extended commercial interest-only terms and revised affordability metrics, through to increased portfolio lending limits, the Bank is creating greater flexibility and better outcomes for brokers and their clients.”

Chris believes strong relationships will remain central to his role as Redwood grows. “This job is all about relationships, meeting people, building trust and delivering on what you say you’re going to do.”

He was drawn to Redwood’s growth strategy and continued investment in its lending capabilities.

“What excites me most is getting out there, raising awareness of Redwood, meeting new brokers and doing business I haven’t been able to do before. Redwood’s flexibility and broad product range mean we can support a wider variety of deals across different parts of the market.”

Chris was also drawn to Redwood’s culture. “It feels like a family organisation. It really does seem like everybody gets on with everybody and it’s a community, a real family.”