Sales director was prominent on speaker circuit

Keystone Property Finance sales director Phil Riches will retire later this month after a five-decade career in financial services.

Riches joined Keystone 14 years ago in 2012 to help the specialist buy-to-let lender relaunch. He became head of sales the following year and sales director in 2018.

As well as helping to develop the Keystone business, Riches has also been a regular speaker at roadshows and other events to educate brokers about complex buy-to-let.

Following Riches’ departure, Keystone’s commercial director, Steve Griffiths, will take over responsibility for account relationships, providing support for Keystone’s partners.  

Riches began his career as a clerk at National Westminster Bank in 1976, before taking on managerial roles at both City & Metropolitan Building Society and Nationwide Building Society, where he spent nearly a decade.

In 1991, he joined Paragon Mortgages as regional sales manager, becoming its top-producing sales manager four years running. In the early 2000s, he moved to Platform to become divisional sales manager, before leaving for Solution4 in 2008, where he was sales director before joining Keystone.

A proud achievement

Riches said: “After more than 50 years in an industry that has given me so many opportunities, friendships and memorable experiences, I have decided that the time is right to retire. The past 14 years at Keystone have been particularly rewarding, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked alongside such talented and dedicated colleagues and advisers.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together and grateful for the support, trust and friendships that have developed throughout my career.”

David Whittaker, CEO of Keystone Property Finance, said: “It’s hard to overstate how big a role Phil has played in helping turn Keystone into the leading specialist lender that it is today. His knowledge, his passion and his relationships are unrivalled and he has been a wonderful ambassador for us over the years. It has been a genuine pleasure to work with him as the business has evolved and grown over the years.”