New role covers treasury and reporting across the lender's funding lines
Hope Capital Property Finance has appointed Harry Williams (pictured, left) as head of finance and treasury.
The newly created role covers financial management, treasury and reporting across the specialist bridging lender's funding lines, the firm said Monday.
Williams is an ACA-qualified accountant who held senior finance roles at INEOS Inovyn and Victrex plc. His experience spans financial reporting, audit, working capital, cash flow and treasury, the lender said.
The appointment follows Kate Cowan's promotion to chief financial and operating officer earlier this year. Cowan (pictured, right) joined the Liverpool-based lender in 2019 as finance director and became chief financial officer in 2023. Hope Capital said the new position gives the finance and treasury area dedicated leadership.
Funding lines expanded this year
In June, the lender secured a £35 million committed wholesale funding facility with Hampshire Trust Bank. The bilateral facility is Hope Capital's first funding line with the bank. Daisy Xu, head of structured finance at HTB, said the facility is designed to provide "a scalable funding line."
In July, Hope Capital renewed and increased its committed senior funding line facilitated by Triple Point to £75 million. The relationship began in 2018 with an initial £10 million facility, later raised to £45 million. The latest increase added £30 million, according to Triple Point, an investment manager specialising in private markets.
Cowan said the renewal "reinforces lender confidence in our strategy."
The lender marked 15 years in the specialist finance market this month. Over that period it raised its maximum loan size from £1.5 million to £5 million. The lender's team has reportedly grown from nine to 45 over eight years.
Bridging activity eased in second quarter
The Bridging & Development Lenders Association (BDLA) reported lower applications, completions and loan book values among participating lender members in the second quarter.
Completions totalled £1.6 billion in the three months to June 30, down 15.2% from the previous quarter. Applications fell 26.3% to £7.3 billion. Total reported lender loan books declined 10.6% to £10.3 billion at the end of June. The end-March figure was £11.5 billion, according to the BDLA's first-quarter data. Average loan-to-value ratios rose to 57.66%.
The BDLA said market feedback points to subdued property transaction activity and protracted completion times. It said those factors are pressuring new business pipelines and sharpening lenders' focus on exit strategies. Adam Tyler, the BDLA's chief executive, said bridging and development lenders are not exempt from the effects of a slower property market.
Brickflow's MarketWatch report also showed bridging decisions in principle rose 6% in the second quarter from the first. Bridging search activity on the platform fell 13.6%. Lender appetite for bridging against land with detailed planning rose 61% between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. Brickflow said it was the platform's fastest-growing category.
Lender outlines growth plans
Cowan said the appointment comes as the lender aims to "continue to expand our institutional funding lines and grow even further."
Williams said he has worked directly with the underwriting and post-completions teams since joining. He added that previous roles in larger group finance teams shaped his focus on reporting accuracy and planning.
Hope Capital was established in 2011. It lends against residential, semi-commercial and commercial property across England, Wales and Scotland, up to £5 million.
