Our sales director Gary Bailey was honoured for his outstanding 20 years with the business, and 16 other hard-working members of our team were recognised for clocking up more than a century of service between them.

A dozen of our staff reached their five-year milestone, three celebrated a decade of service and one was recognised for working at Together for 15 years.

We often hold long service awards to thank our colleagues for their dedication, as staff retention and the happiness of our team of more than 500 employees are key to the success of our business. And the work we’re doing in this area is certainly paying off, with more than a third of our colleagues having been with us for five years or more.

Our ambitious growth plans mean that attracting some of the best talent in the industry is as important as ever.

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That’s why – as part of our colleague reward scheme – we offer a host of bonuses and benefits, with recipients at last week’s awards receiving a total of £32,000 worth of holiday vouchers between them. Together’s focus on retention and development of colleagues ensures we have exceptional expertise in the specialist lending sector and allows us to nurture long-lasting working relationships with our trusted broker partners.

There’s no substitute for experience when it comes to understanding a client’s position. During my 14 years with the group, I’ve seen many applications complete with Together after they have fallen through the tradition lending channels. This has only happened because of the underwriting team’s ability and experience to make quick decisions by understanding the client’s requirements. Our long-term partnerships are built on the trust that our brokers place in us, knowing that we have the ability to understand even the most complex cases and try to find a way to help. Our broker sales team have more than a century of combined experience and is headed up by Gary.

Having joined the company in 1997, Gary has established an extensive network of brokers across the country. He’s responsible for Together’s broker sales strategy and is committed to providing a broad and diverse range of products which meet our customers’ needs. It was fantastic to congratulate him on his long-service award last week, and we all look forward to working with him for years to come.