Santander Corporate Banking has made two senior appointments in Southampton.

Mike Donaldson and Steve Spencer join Santander as relationship directors to support existing and new corporate and commercial banking customers, with Spencer focusing on specialist real estate finance. Both will report to Mike Reeves, regional director for the Solent region.

Donaldson brings 35 years banking experience to his new role as relationship director and has worked in the Solent region for the past 18 years. He joins Santander Corporate Banking from HSBC and for the last 15 years has been involved in client portfolio management and business development supporting both commercial and corporate clients.

Spencer also brings extensive experience to his new role, joining Santander Corporate Banking from Lloyds TSB, where he worked for 35 years, with the last 15 years being spent in the corporate sector managing a portfolio of customers and looking for new business opportunities. He has specific experience of both Corporate Finance and Real Estate transactions and joins the bank to head up the regional Real Estate Finance team.

Reeves said: “Mike and Steve bring a wealth of corporate and commercial banking experience to their new roles and I am delighted that they have chosen to join Santander Corporate Banking. Their appointments highlight Santander’s commitment to support businesses in the Solent region.

“Santander has a clear strategy of building its presence in the UK commercial and corporate banking market. We are keen to support well run, viable businesses and aim to become the bank of choice for businesses in the region. In order to achieve this we are investing, recruiting strong teams able to provide a true relationship banking service for customers and Mike and Steve are great examples of this.”