The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AMC) has appointed a new regional agricultural manager for East Anglia and Lincolnshire.
Declan Wilson joins the AMC team having previously worked at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking as an agricultural relationship manager. He brings more than a decade of banking experience to the role, along with links to agriculture through his extended family.
Having initially joined Lloyds Bank in 2017 as a relationship manager within the bank’s SME and Mid Corporate Commercial Banking’s specialist agriculture team, Declan has since worked with a diverse range of farming businesses across Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and East Anglia, helping them to secure funding, structure transactions and advising on liabilities.
In his new role, which is effective immediately, Declan will head a team of agricultural sector experts that provide financial expertise, funding, and guidance to around 1,300 farming businesses.
Declan, who lives in Boston, will also work alongside AMC’s team of 27 independent land agents who carry out the business’s loan application and valuation work, as well as 14 valuers in the region.
Commenting on his appointment, regional agricultural manager for East Anglia and Lincolnshire, Declan Wilson, said: “East Anglia is a key area of focus for AMC and I’m looking forward to working closely with local farming businesses.
“Whether they’re looking at renewable energy technology to reduce their carbon footprint, have ambitions to diversify their existing operations into new markets, or need investment to purchase new land or machinery, we are committed to helping them achieve their ambitions.”
Lee Reeves, AMC’s Managing Director, added: “Declan’s appointment comes at a time when British farming is undergoing a period of considerable change, with the phasing out of the BPS, recent severe weather, as well as the ongoing challenges of the Covid pandemic.
“But against all this, we’re continuing to see a strong appetite from rural businesses who want to diversify and modify their operations to generate new revenue streams. This senior appointment brings additional resource and expertise to AMC’s proposition in the region as we look to support even more local farmers achieve success over the long-term.”
The appointment marks a new era for AMC in the region, with Declan stepping up to lead the East Anglia and Lincolnshire team following the departure of his predecessor Mike Lord.