The Association of Short Term Lenders has announced the first two speakers – Lorna O’Brien of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Peter Andrews of the Bank of England – for its annual conference.

This year’s conference – ‘Brexit and Bridging’ – will focus on how the property market and bridging loans industry is likely to respond to the issues created by the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

The fifth annual event will be held on September 14 2017 at Painter’s Hall, London, and will bring together prominent figures across finance, bridging and politics to debate the latest industry trends and compare ideas and predictions.

Chief executive of the ASTL, Benson Hersch, said: “This conference brings together leading decision makers and commentators to address the situation presented by Brexit, as well as to provide insight into the current state of the economy, the housing market, and the future for lending and finance.”

The first proclaimed speaker, Lorna O’Brien, will bring 20 years of mortgage industry experience having previously worked as the policy lead for the mortgage market review and is currently a technical specialist in the mortgage sector team at the FCA. She will give insight into the FCA’s views on the market and provide a broader update on compliance and regulation in bridging and short-term credit.

Having worked at the Bank of England since 1979 and becoming an agent for Greater London in 2007, Peter Andrews has extensive knowledge of the market under his belt. He will provide a briefing on the broad economic and financial outlook from the Bank of England.

Last year’s event was attended by more than 160 and sold out in advance, with this year’s event expected to exceed that amount. Details of the full line up of speakers will be released in the coming weeks.

Hersch added: “The decision to leave the EU has been one of the biggest political events in our recent history, but it is still not clear what the impact will be. This is as true for the credit, property and bridging sectors as it is for any other parts of the economy.”

“We have seen the demand for long and short-term loans rise steadily over recent months, but any major economic changes need to be properly assessed in order to secure continued success for the future.”

He continued: “With Article 50 now activated, and the countdown to Brexit underway, it is now more crucial than ever that we as an industry are proactive and engage with the potential challenges we may face.”

The half-day conference includes breakfast and lunch and is open to lenders, financial advisers, intermediaries, surveyors and anyone else who is interested in the short-term lending market. To register for the conference, please visit the ASTL website.