Please Note: The information included within these pages is for for use by FCA authorised intermediaries only. If you are a customer please visit our customer web pages.
Meet the Team
Important Information: We are currently only accepting applications from intermediaries located within our branch operating area unless already registered. Click here for more information.
Relationship Managers
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Chris Dacre - Intermediary Relationship Manager
If Chris could book the bands for his own personal concert, he would definitely be turning up the volume with his choice of Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters and AC/DC. He’d probably need to follow that up with some peaceful time in his favourite holiday destination of Scotland which handily means that he can also avoid flying!
Chris has been with The Cumberland for 8 years and enjoys working with colleagues and clients in his people-oriented role.
If Chris is your dedicated Relationship Manager, please contact them directly by phone or email:
Email ChrisMob: 07823775418
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Helen McComb - Trainee Intermediary Relationship Manager
Helen brings 19 years of experience with The Cumberland to this role where she relishes the demanding and fast-paced environment and is one of only two people on the team who prefer cats to dogs!
A student of Shukokai karate, it’s perhaps no surprise that Cobra Kai’s Johnny Lawrence would be one of her dream dinner guests, alongside Lee Mac and Jimmy Nail. Helen’s favourite holiday destination is Rhodes, where she was married.
If Helen is your dedicated Relationship Manager, please contact them directly by phone or email:
Email HelenMob: 07501728264
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Melissa Gaukrodger - Intermediary Relationship Manager
Melissa is new to The Cumberland. Already settled in, she is looking forward to getting to know the brokers we work with and being able to help with cases.
Something colleagues and customers may not know about Melissa is that she was previously a makeup artist and often still helps friends and family to get ready for events.
Melissa dreamt of working with animals as a child and David Attenborough is going to be welcome at her dinner party, as like many others on the team, he would be a dream dinner guest of Melissa’s!
If Melissa is your dedicated Relationship Manager, please contact them directly by phone or email:
Email MelissaMob: 07442679022
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Ryan Patterson - Senior Relationship Manager
In his current role, Ryan likes the finer detail of finding solutions to complex issues and helping a broker and customer to get the result they were hoping for.
He enjoys paddleboarding in his free time and is an all-round sports fan, noting Alan Shearer, Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Lewis Hamilton amongst his dream dinner guests. His favourite thing about Cumbria is the lakes, but he would love to explore Australia and the Far East in the future.
If Ryan is your dedicated Relationship Manager, please contact them directly by phone or email:
Email RyanMob: 07766678568
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Linda Slinger - Intermediary Relationship Manager
After 17 years with the company, Linda is happy to maintain that the team she works for is amazing. Perhaps not surprisingly though, none of them made it on to her list of dream dinner guests which did include Michael Palin and Stanley Tucci.
When she isn’t making kombucha (fermented tea) in her airing cupboard, Linda enjoys travelling to different places and trying different cuisines, possibly the result of some advice she received to ‘create as many memories as you can’.
If Linda is your dedicated Relationship Manager, please contact them directly by phone or email:
Email LindaMob: 07876 132054
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Debbie Harrison - Intermediary Relationship Manager
With 15 years’ experience at The Cumberland, Debbie was previously a Mortgage and Protection Adviser for over 6 years and has been working within our Telephone Mortgage Team for the past 3 years.
Debbie likes to get out and about locally in her free time, spending her weekends walking the Wainwrights. She would love to invite Alfred Wainwright to her dream dinner party and would sit him alongside Dwayne Johnson and Leonardo da Vinci for some truly unique conversation.
Debbie’s favourite part about her role is interacting and communicating with people and offering a personal service to try and make the mortgage process as straight forward as possible.
If Debbie is your dedicated Relationship Manager, please contact them directly by phone or email
Email DebbieMob: 07442 678913
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Nicky Watson - Intermediary Relationship Manager
Nicky enjoys building relationships with brokers and loves to talk! She has been with The Cumberland for over 22 years, having been a Mortgage Protection Adviser for 15 years and a Mortgage Underwriter for 3 years.
Something that colleagues and clients may not know is that Nicky runs a sheep business with her husband. Beginning as a hobby 4 years ago with 9 sheep, they now have 58 ewes and 90 lambs!
It's no surprise that Nicky likes to holiday in the great outdoors, with trips to Cornwall and the North-East coast thanks to her in-laws' motorhome.
If Nicky is your dedicated Relationship Manager, please contact them directly by phone or email
Email NickyMob: 07501730388
Support Team
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Darragh O’Grady - Intermediary Relationship Support
Qualified masseuse Darragh has been with The Cumberland for 4 years and now turns his hands to relationship support, loving that no two days are the same.
With dreams of being a footballer growing up, it’s no surprise that Lionel Messi would be top on his list of dream dinner guests. Darragh loves Mexican food so rates Mexico as his favourite holiday destination and if he could host a music festival there, it would include Dave, Adele and David Guetta.
Email DarraghMob: 07917356274
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Laura Rogerson - Intermediary Relationship Support
Laura has been a mortgage adviser for 14 of her 19 years with The Cumberland, previous to joining the intermediary team, Laura was part of the Face-to-Face mortgage team based in Penrith. She enjoys helping people to secure their dream home with her advice: ‘believe you can and you’re halfway there’.
Busy learning Italian in her free time, Laura notes Las Vegas as her favourite holiday destination, saying that she had an amazing experience and made memories to last a lifetime. She does however hold a soft spot for Cumbria because to Laura, “it will always be home”.
Email LauraMob:07880538821
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Rachel Jackson - Intermediary Relationship Support
Rachel worked for Borderway Finance between 2013 and 2023, returning to join our Intermediary team here at The Cumberland in August 2024 where she enjoys supporting our broker network.
Her favourite dinner party guests would include Simon Reeves and Steve Irwin, and having grown up on a hill farm, her childhood ambition was to become a Shepherdess.
Keeping in mind the advice she was once given that ‘your money will return but your time won’t’, Rachel’s favourite holiday destination is the USA where she hopes to one day explore the areas surrounding the Rocky Mountains and spend time helping out on a ranch.
Email RachelMob:07880537555
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Katy Nichol - Intermediary Lending Officer
Katy has been with The Cumberland for 3 years, after having previously worked in our Brampton branch, Katy is a new addition to the intermediary team. Once dreaming of being a Marine Biologist, she now enjoys working within her amazing team, for a local company who give back to their community.
One of only two people on the team who would choose cats over dogs, Katy would invite Ed Sheeran, 50 Cent and Rihanna to her musical themed dinner party and the best advice she’s received was that life is short, so make sure you live it.
Email KatyMob: 07442678997
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Hayley Houghton - Intermediary Lending Officer
Hayley has been with The Cumberland for 19 years and in her current team for the past two.
She claims to have too many talents to mention (although concedes that many would disagree) and dreamed of being a DJ in Ibiza growing up.
Hayley rates Maryport as her favourite thing about Cumbria with the most beautiful sunsets and the friendliest people, although she doesn’t mind a holiday in Thailand for its food, culture and beaches.
Email HayleyMob: 07917901416
Management Team
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Grant Seaton - Head of Intermediary Lending
Having previously worked as Branch Manager, Grant joined the commercial team as Senior Commercial Manager before progressing to Head of Intermediary Lending in 2023. He has broad and extensive financial services experience, having been with The Cumberland for 27 years.
Growing up, Grant aspired to become a Recording Studio Engineer but actually found himself centre stage as a drummer, also trying his hand as a songwriter and guitarist. His musical influences include The Stone Roses, Primal Scream and The Doors.
Grant’s idea of relaxation is a trip to the Canary Islands where the great weather combines with plenty of places to explore.
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Lisa Hodgson - Senior Sales Manager
Anyone within earshot beware, Lisa is happy to admit that she loves to sing karaoke, with Queen, Celine Dion and Oasis top of the bands she would invite to her own music festival.
The favourite part of her role is seeing colleagues grow and develop, perhaps part inspired by the best advice that she has received which was to never compare yourself to someone else's success – to always make your own story.
Lisa enjoys travelling and likes to see different places, although she does admit to having a soft spot for Cumbria’s Michelin star eateries.
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Kevin Aitken - Interim Senior Sales Manager (Seconded)
Kevin has been with the company for 21 years and enjoys the variety that comes from the role. He likes to be constantly on the move, even on holiday, and has just begun the challenge of climbing the Wainwrights.
If you know Kevin you might be surprised to learn that he is a rock / punk rock fan, listing Blink 182, Sum 41 and New Found Glory as the three bands that would headline his own personal music concert, and Dave Grohl as a person he would most like to invite to dinner.
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Andrew Gordon - Business Development Manager
Having worked with the company for what he describes as ‘forever’ (35 years), Andrew is the longest serving member of the intermediary team. He’s currently with The Cumberland having not managed to attain his dream job of playing football for Carlisle United.
A family man at heart, Andrew refrained from naming footballers and musicians as his perfect dinner guests, instead preferring to sit down with members of his own family.
The best bit of advice that he’s been given? There is a positive reason that your front windscreen is bigger than your rear-view mirror!
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Anne Hodgson - Business Development Manager
Anne has worked in financial services for over 30 years and says that it’s really exciting to be working in a business area that's constantly growing, changing and developing. She enjoys working in Cumbria due to the quietness and sense of space but doesn’t mind the odd jaunt to Spain for the great weather!
Anne’s hidden talent, which you might wish to ask her about, is that she has a really good centre of balance and can stand on one leg for ages! ‘Half women, half stork!’ (Anne’s words, not ours!)