Specialist Hub accelerates growth with full onboarding of Steve Hayes and Mike Brooks

07 July 2026

Specialist Hub has reinforced its ambitious growth strategy with the full integration of two of the UK’s most recognised specialist finance figures, Steve Hayes and Mike Brooks, who are now fully authorised and actively working alongside Managing Director Tony Sutton.

With all regulatory permissions now in place, the move marks a significant milestone in the firm’s growth as it continues to scale its presence across the specialist lending market.

Hayes is widely recognised as the founder and former CEO of Loans.co.uk, where he built one of the UK’s most successful and recognisable brokerages, scaling it from a niche operation into a major market player.

Brooks, a chartered accountant and seasoned financial strategist, has held senior roles across both brokerage and lending, bringing deep operational and commercial expertise to the business.

Together, they bring decades of combined experience, proven growth credentials, and a track record of delivering innovation within specialist finance.

Working alongside Sutton – who has been active in specialist financial services since the 1980s and founded the business that became Specialist Hub – the strengthened leadership team is focused on expanding broker distribution, deepening lender relationships and enhancing the firm’s specialist proposition across residential, buy-to-let, bridging, development, second charges, equity release and commercial finance.

The return of Hayes and Brooks to a fully active, authorised role within a brokerage environment is being viewed as a significant moment for the sector.

The announcement also underlines Specialist Hub’s commitment to recruitment, as the business continues to attract both experienced advisers and new talent into the specialist sector.

Tony Sutton, Managing Director, said:

“Having Steve and Mike fully onboard and authorised is a major step forward. Their experience and reputation speak for themselves, and their impact is already being felt across the business.

“We’re growing, we’re investing, and we’re actively looking to bring more advisers into Specialist Hub as we build for the next phase.”

Steve Hayes added:

“There is huge potential within Specialist Hub. The foundations are strong, and now it’s about scaling that – bringing new ideas, new opportunities, and helping brokers navigate an increasingly complex market.”

Mike Brooks said:

“I am delighted to be starting this growth journey with Tony and Steve. The specialist finance market continues to evolve rapidly, and our stated aim is to drive that evolution in our space. We will blend the old with the new – we will have a heightened focus on new technology to drive our outcomes, financial performance and compliance – but we will never lose sight of the old values and this is about people – developing great teams of people internally and great partnerships externally.”

For more information about Specialist Hub, recruitment opportunities or its specialist lending services, visit www.specialisthub.co.uk or email careers@specialisthub.co.uk