Will Hale adds Air CEO role to responsibilities

Will Hale, CEO of Key Later Life Finance, has been given additional leadership responsibilities at Key Group’s later life lending platform, Air.

He will be CEO at Air, as well as running Key Later Life Finance, and replaces Paul Glynn who is returning to Key Group’s manufacturing division where he will be responsible for business-to-business sales and marketing.

Hale (pictured) said: “Under Paul’s leadership Air has cemented its position as the foremost intermediary services brand in the later life lending market. I’m inheriting a hugely talented team and I look forward to working with them to continue to evolve our sourcing platform, to enhance the training and support we offer through the Air Academy and to create more innovative ways of helping advisers achieve their commercial objectives through our club proposition.

“The later life lending market has been through a couple of challenging years but the sector is robust and the prospects for the future are hugely exciting. Air is committed to supporting a return to safe market growth and our focus is on serving the rapidly evolving needs of our members as they develop their businesses and strive to meet their obligations under Consumer Duty by delivering consistently good outcomes for customers.

“Air also places huge value in the relationships it holds with lenders, solicitors and other mortgage clubs and networks. Creating an ecosystem that establishes connections between all market participants and ultimately works in the best interests of customers remains central to our strategy.

“Later life lending is fast becoming a normalised part of financial planning for most over 50s customers and product development in the lifetime mortgage, retirement interest only, term interest only and in mainstream mortgages aimed at older customers has created a complex landscape.

“Technology has a crucial role to play in helping advisers navigate the market and to ensure they are considering all options for their customers. Air will remain at the forefront of this innovation and through existing and new partnerships we will look for integration opportunities to break-down silos and to create more efficiency in the journey.

“Key Group sees the future of the later life lending sector being driven by a diverse distribution audience capable of engaging a broad profile of customers through a variety of different channels. I take on the leadership of Air at a pivotal point in the evolution of the market and look forward to listening to the requirements of new and existing members and then delivering what they need in order to help more customers safely use their housing wealth to achieve their financial needs and lifestyle aspirations in later life.”