A man born and bred on an Exmoor hill farm has become the Agricultural Mortgage Corporation's (AMC) new national sales director.

Lee Baker's strong farming heritage brought him to the agriculture team at Lloyds Bank in 2009, where he has spent the last seven years as agricultural relationship manager based in the south west.

In his new role, the father of three living in Somerset will lead a team of nine that provides financial expertise, funding and guidance to more than 9,000 farmers and agricultural businesses across the UK.

Mr Baker said: “Being back in a leadership role working hand in hand with an industry that’s in my blood is a fantastic opportunity and one that I am going to relish. I already know that the team I am going to be working with are fantastic and fully committed to helping rural businesses develop and grow with their guidance and expertise.”

Andrew Naylor, managing director of AMC said: “With years of consistently delivering exceptional levels of service supporting farmers and agricultural businesses, Lee is ideally placed to take on the role of national sales director. It goes without saying that farming is facing some uncertainty at the moment. Having someone with Lee’s experience and knowledge to support them will be welcome news to customers and our AMC agents.”