Landbay has appointed peer-to-peer pioneer Robert Burgess to its board of directors.

Burgess, who has 20 years’ senior experience in retail finance, co-founded Exchange Associates in 2013 as the first dedicated lender and provider of permanent investor capital to the peer-to-peer industry.

Tony Ward, chairman of Landbay, said: “The appointment of an original peer-to-peer pioneer and retail finance stalwart to the board of Landbay is a significant step forward.

“Robert brings with him a sense of innovation and passion for the disintermediation of the traditional Banking model, whilst providing decades worth of retail financial services expertise.

“His recent work with the peer-to-peer sector is also highly valuable to us.”

Burgess, who has worked at Alliance Trust, Lloyds TSB, Scottish Widows and Thomas Cook. will join Landbay co-founders John Goodall and Gray Stern, as well Tony Ward on the board.

Since forming in 2012 Landbay has already brought in John Jenkins, chief executive of Amicus , Hans Geberbauer, chief executive of Paratus AMC and senior finance executive Julian Sutton to its board of directors.

Burgess added: “I am hugely looking forward to working with the strong and ambitious team at Landbay.

“Their model of coupling the security of the buy-to-let mortgage market with peer-to-peer technology looks set to be a huge hit in 2015 and beyond.”