AIM-listed Sancus Lending Group has appointed Andrew Charnley as its new chief executive.
Charnley, who will also remain as the managing director of Sancus Lending (UK), will succeed Rory Mepham, who has served as CEO since June 2021.
Sancus Lending Group are specialists in property bridging and development finance in the UK, Ireland, and Jersey.
Charnley has more than 30 years of commercial lending expertise, with particular expertise in real estate finance.
He has held senior leadership roles including Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and Together Money, and his responsibilities have included growing lending businesses, delivering operational improvements and maintaining a strong risk focus.
Since joining the group in October 2024, Charnley has helped transform the UK business.
During 2025, the UK business wrote new facilities of £93.5m (2024: £48.3m), contributing to a 49 per cent increase in AUM to £125.4m (2024: £84.0m).
Commenting on the changes, chairman Steve Smith, said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Rory for his commitment to Sancus and for his hard work over the last five years during which time he has resolved numerous legacy issues and renewed the strategic focus of the business.
“We are delighted that Andrew has agreed to take on the CEO role following an extensive career in performance driven business leadership and a successful spell as MD of our UK business. We look forward to supporting him as he leads the group in its next growth phase.”
Charnley said: “I am delighted to become CEO of Sancus. The progress Sancus UK has made in the last 18 months has established a very good foundation for its future profitable growth.
“I am now excited to work with the colleagues across the broader Ggroup and our other partners and stakeholders to deliver strong operating performance and discipline across our entire business, delivering controlled and sustainable growth as well as long-term value for our shareholders.”
Mepham said: “This is the right time to hand over, and Andrew is the right person to lead the business through its next phase. His leadership of our UK business has demonstrated his ability to drive performance, strengthen customer relationships and build high-performing teams. I wish Andrew and the broader Sancus team every success.”
Sancus Lending UK, a real estate lender headquartered in Manchester, sponsor the Northern Spin podcast.