Rebecca Lewis (pictured) has been appointed head of operations for Afin Bank, the specialist lender and savings provider that launched in October last year.
In her new role, she will oversee the customer-facing functions, including lending operations and customer service, when the bank starts offering products later in the year.
Lewis has a wealth of experience in financial services operations, particularly in the building society sector where she has had roles with Dudley Building Society, Skipton Building Society and most recently as head of customer service at Tipton and Coseley Building Society.
Lewis said it was the opportunity to help an overlooked community of customers that appealed to her when joining Afin Bank.
She explained: “We want to understand our customers and build relationships with them, it’s about us creating a bank that customers can trust.
“My past experience working in building societies has shown me how valuable supporting the communities around us can be.
“Customer feedback is important to understand the challenges they are facing, so that we can adapt our processes and products to their needs.
“Customer service isn’t just about being pleasant on the phone, it’s about finding ways that make managing your finances as straightforward and effortless as possible.”
Lewis will be based at Afin Bank’s Centre of Excellence, which opened in Birmingham at the end of last year.
She is currently building the teams and processes to support both Afin Bank’s mortgages and savings propositions, which are on track to launch this year.
Nicola Tunney, Afin Bank’s chief people and operating officer, said: “At the heart of Afin Bank is a desire to help customers who have been let down by mainstream providers, so I really wanted somebody heading up our operations who was passionate about people – not just our customers, but the colleagues supporting them as well.
“Bec has all those qualities as well as huge amounts of experience on the frontline and in developing the systems we need to make our operations world class. I am delighted that she is part of the Afin Bank team.”
