East Yorkshire SME commercial finance provider Westwood Capital Finance has appointed Allan Underwood as its new director to support its long-term growth ambitions. Operating from the lender's Beverley headquarters, Underwood brings 35 years of industry experience, including the past 18 years as senior sales director at Skipton Business Finance.

Founded in 2022, Westwood Capital Finance provides commercial mortgages and bridging loans of up to £2m to small and medium-sized enterprises, property developers, and landlords. In his new role, Underwood will help guide the strategic direction of the firm, expand its professional network, and maintain service standards for brokers and end-clients.

Managing director Gareth Fawke said: "Allan has demonstrated throughout his career his strong financial expertise, experience and the commercial acumen required to make solid business decisions. His ability to transform a lender like us, by forging powerful relationships across his extensive introducer network, was a key factor in his appointment and will make him such a terrific asset."



Shower designer and manufacturer Roman has appointed Alex Crawley as Operations Director, marking a progression that began when he joined the company as an apprentice in 2001. Over the past 25 years, Crawley has held multiple operational roles within the business, contributing to manufacturing efficiency and continuous improvement frameworks.

The appointment highlights the company's internal talent pathway and long-term staff development strategies. Chief executive David Osborne said: "Alex has been the protégé for some years now and has been successfully running operations without the title. Roman is moving into very exciting times and we know Alex will move his team and service to the next level."



Sheffield-based Transave Credit Union has appointed consumer finance executive Jake Ranson as a Non-Executive Director. Ranson brings industry experience from senior leadership roles at Experian, ClearScore, and as chief executive of Paylink prior to its acquisition by Experian in late 2024.

The appointment aligns with the broader expansion goals of the UK credit union sector, which recently established the Credit Union Growth Plan targeting 4.4 million members by 2035 alongside increased lending capacity. Chief executive Ian Sibbald said: "Jake brings an exceptional combination of fintech, payments and consumer finance experience at a time when credit unions have a significant opportunity to reshape the financial landscape. His expertise in digital products, customer strategy and financial inclusion will be invaluable as we continue to modernise our services and expand our reach."