Who are this year’s standout female figures in the mortgage sector?
A group of female professionals has been recognised by Mortgage Introducer for their contribution to the UK mortgage industry, with 55 women named in the publication’s Elite Women 2026 list.
Now in its fourth year, the initiative invited nominations from across the market for women whose work influences the mortgage and housing finance sectors. Candidates were required to hold roles that directly or indirectly affect the industry and to show a strong commitment to their profession.
Those putting names forward were asked to outline each nominee’s key achievements over the past year, including commercial results, leadership in change programmes, product or process innovation, and wider industry involvement such as policy input or sector initiatives.
Submissions were reviewed by Mortgage Introducer’s editorial team, which assessed contributions against criteria including recent performance, originality of ideas and demonstrable impact on the mortgage market. Following this process, 55 women were selected for the Elite Women 2026 list.
Among those named this year are:
- Harsha Dahyea, chief commercial officer at Quantum Mortgages
- Charlotte Allen, chief risk and compliance officer at Key Group
- Gillian McAllister, head of product marketing at LendInvest
- Paula Mercer, director of sales at LendInvest
The full roll of honourees appears in the MI Elite Women 2026 special report, which is also available online.
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