Specialist lender Together has added to its executive team with the appointment of financial services veteran John Barker as the group’s chief operating officer (COO).
Barker will oversee operations across the company’s Cheadle-based business, which provides personal and commercial secured finance with a loan book of £6.2bn.
Barker, who has an extensive background in leading operations, IT, and change in the financial services sector, will now be tasked with driving Together’s ambitious modernisation and transformation programmes.
Barker said: “I’m deeply passionate about purpose-led leadership and responsible lending. Together’s common-sense approach and commitment to flexible products have long appealed to me.
“One of my primary objectives will be to enhance the digital customer journey to cater to all our clients, regardless of their preferred communication route.”
In addition to enhancing customer experience, Barker also plans to create a more “user-friendly IT experience” to engage Together’s colleagues, fostering an even more efficient service for personal and commercial finance clients.
“I’m a huge advocate for engagement and job satisfaction for my colleagues at Together, which is highly regarded in the financial services sector for its incredible work in this area. I aim to build on the pride they already have in delivering excellent customer service,” Barker added.
Barker began his career with Co-op Insurance over 17 years ago. He later spent more than a decade with Capita, eventually becoming a managing director within the group in 2019.
Subsequently, he joined business transformation provider Target Group as group COO, later being promoted to CEO and obtaining a Senior Management Function (SMF1) designation from the Financial Conduct Authority.
Together’s CEO designate, Gerald Grimes, said: “John has a proven track record of people and purpose-led service and technology transformation. His ability to deliver market-leading outcomes for colleagues, customers, conduct, and clients aligns perfectly with our strategic objectives. We’re confident his appointment will bring significant benefits to our business.”
Together recently reported an increase in lending to £6.2bn for the quarter ending March 31st, reflecting a 29.1% rise compared to the same period in the previous year and a 4.6% increase on the previous quarter. The company’s average monthly lending reached £211.7m, with an underlying profit before tax of £41.3m.
