Strengthening Our Leadership

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Strengthening Our Leadership to Support Adviser Growth | At Connect, we’re proud to strengthen both the way we support mortgage advisers and the leadership team that drives our mission forward.

We’re excited to announce three strategic leadership appointments that reflect our continued commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and adviser success. These newly created roles are designed to enhance the support we offer across our award-winning mortgage network, ensuring that advisers benefit from deeper expertise and stronger systems.

Each leader brings significant industry experience and a forward-thinking approach, reinforcing our position as one of the UK’s most trusted mortgage networks for advisers.

As our adviser community expands and the industry’s demands evolve, these appointments will play a key role in shaping our growth strategy, elevating service delivery, and creating long-term value for advisers across the UK.

Strengthening Our Leadership to Support Adviser Growth

We’re proud to strengthen our leadership team with a strategic appointment that reinforces our commitment to adviser success, network expansion, and service excellence.

Kevin Thomson, Sales Director of Connect Mortgages
Kevin Thomson, Sales Director of Connect Mortgages

Kevin Thomson Appointed Corporate Director – Connect Network

We’re pleased to announce that Kevin Thomson has been appointed as Corporate Director at Connect Network, a newly created role focused on scaling and strengthening our Appointed Representative (AR) network.

Kevin will lead the national team of Business Development Managers (BDMs), ensuring every adviser within our award-winning mortgage network receives consistent, hands-on support. His appointment marks a key milestone in our mission to deliver unmatched guidance and operational excellence to both new and experienced brokers.

This leadership enhancement reflects Connect’s ongoing promise: to champion adviser growth, improve infrastructure, and provide the highest standards of service across our mortgage adviser network.

Niall Hebron, Sales Director at Connect for Intermediaries
Niall Hebron, Sales Director at Connect for Intermediaries

Niall Hebron Appointed as Sales Director at Connect Network

We’re pleased to announce that Niall Hebron has been promoted to Sales Director, where he will lead our internal adviser operations across the Connect Network. His role now includes oversight of our specialist mortgage placement and packaging support teams, which are key components of our Specialist Packager for Brokers.

This strategic move strengthens our ability to support advisers with complex and non-standard cases, enhancing the speed and efficiency of case placement while ensuring better outcomes for clients across the network.

Jane Benjamin, Director of Mortgages, at Connect for Intermediaries
Jane Benjamin, Director of Mortgages, at Connect for Intermediaries

Jane Benjamin — Leading Our Lender Panel Growth and Relations

We’re excited to announce that Jane Benjamin, our Director of Mortgages, is now taking the lead on all lender relations across the Connect Network. With her deep industry expertise, Jane will be instrumental in driving lender panel growth and expanding opportunities for our advisers.

Her focus will be on:

  • Strengthening relationships with both mainstream and specialist mortgage lenders

  • Securing early access to new products

  • Facilitating clear, direct lender communication

  • Hosting exclusive broker events and updates to keep our network competitive

Jane’s leadership ensures our advisers continue to benefit from a growing panel of lenders across all key product areas, residential, buy-to-let, bridging, and more, supporting the Connect mission to offer unrivalled choice and flexibility.

Liz Syms, CEO at Connect for Intermediaries
Liz Syms, CEO at Connect for Intermediaries

A Message from Our CEO, Liz Syms

“At Connect, we are committed to building an award-winning mortgage network that genuinely supports adviser growth. The appointments of Kevin, Jane, and Niall reflect our focus on strengthening both our leadership and systems, ensuring we respond faster, grow smarter, and deliver even greater value to our adviser community.

Our goal is simple: to provide a mortgage network that empowers brokers to grow with confidence. These developments form a key part of our strategy for continued innovation and success through 2025 and beyond.”

Our Way Forward

Whether you’re part of our Appointed Representative (AR) networkworking with us via our dedicated packaging team, or exploring your next career step, our newly appointed leadership team is committed to delivering practical results and adviser-focused support.

Stay tuned for exciting updates and enhanced services from our strengthened team, designed to help mortgage advisers thrive in an evolving market.

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Thank you for reading our “Strengthening Our Leadership | New Appointments at Connect” publication. Stay “Connect“-ed for more updates soon!