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Moving Forward Together

MSS is an industry leader in providing technology‑led financial services for the UK property market, efficiently connecting consumers, lenders and intermediaries.

About MSS

Focusing on mortgage, protection, general insurance, and ancillary services, MSS creates a network to aggregate providers of property services, providing smaller firms with a level of scale that enables access to paid-for services and large lender contracts, not available directly.

Technological innovation is core to MSS’s success, and it has continuously sought to revolutionise its markets, utilising data-driven tools to optimise its value proposition to customers.

 

Timeline

Stonebridge Logo Colour
1988
Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions is formed
Direct Valuations
1989
Direct Valuations is formed and becomes the valuation panel manager to First Direct
mortgageforce
2000
Mortgageforce is launched as a JV between Direct Valuations and Rob Clifford
Shepherd Logo
2002
In-house surveying business is launched
mortgageforce
2005
Mortgageforce acquired by West Bromwich Building Society, having grown to 125 outlets
Shepherd Direct
2007
Direct Valuations partners with J&E Shepherd surveyors to become Shepherd Direct
MQ Logo
2008
Shepherd Direct acquires moneyQuest mortgage brokers
SBVS
2011
SBVS founded as a joint venture with Sesame Bankhall Group to provide surveying services
Shepherd Direct
2013
Surveying market share reaches 10%
Stonebridge Logo Colour
2013
Number of AR firms in Stonebridge network passes 100
Pure Protect
2014
Insurance broker, Pure Protect, is partially acquired by Shepherd Direct
Stonebridge Logo Colour
2014
In excess of £1bn of mortgages brokered by Stonebridge per annum.
Shepherd Logo
2014
In-house surveying volume exceeds 50,000 jobs
Stonebridge Logo Colour
2015
Shepherd Direct acquires 49% stake in Stonebridge
SDL Group Logo
2016
Shepherd Direct rebrands to SDL Group
SDL Surveying Old logo
2016
SDL Surveying secure shared panel management role for YBS
Stonebridge Logo Colour
2016
Number of AR firms in Stonebridge network passes 200
Stonebridge Logo Colour
2016
Stonebridge recruits first DA advisers
SDL Group Logo
2017
SDL Group increases stake in Stonebridge to 80%
Stonebridge Logo Colour
2017
Stonebridge exceeds 500 AR advisers (over 250 firms)
SDL Surveying Old logo
2018
SDL Surveying wins surveying allocation from RBS
Stonebridge Logo Colour
2018
SDL Group increases stake in Stonebridge to 100%
MSS Logo
2019
MSS trading division formed
SDL Surveying
2019
SDL Surveying business rebranded
Stonebridge Revolution combined logos
2019
Stonebridge and Revolution businesses rebranded
2019
£8 billion of mortgage lending completed
SDL Surveying
2019
SDL Surveying becomes HSBC’s exclusive panel manager for surveying
SDL Surveying
2019
SDL Surveying doubles surveying volumes with YBS and becomes exclusive panel manager
SDL Surveying
2019
SDL Surveying has major allocation wins from Virgin Money and RBS
2020
Exceeds 800 advisers in the network
SDL Surveying
2021
SDL Surveying introduces two new products: New Build Risk Exposure and Local Desktop Valuations.
2022
Exceeds 1,000 advisers in the network
2022
Over £12 billion of mortgage lending completed
2023
Over £12 billion of mortgage lending completed for the second year running
2024
SDL Surveying leaves MSS group

Our Values

We work in partnership with our network firms and back them to grow their businesses.

We share success with our people and back them to progress towards personal goals.

We create a better future for consumers by progressing their mortgage transactions efficiently.

We create a better future for our people by investing in their wellbeing and development.

We always give our customers the best advice and do the right thing by them.

We act with integrity towards our colleagues and do the right thing in difficult situations.

Our Team

Rob Clifford
Chief Executive
Rob was previously MD of Virgin Money, Director at West Brom Building Society and CEO at national broker, Mortgageforce. He currently leads the financial services arm of the group, becoming Chief Executive of the Stonebridge business in 2019. Alongside this, he performs the group role of Chief Commercial Officer for MSS.
Heath Walker
Chief Financial Officer
Following qualification as a Chartered Accountant with a "Big Four" accounting firm, Heath spent fifteen years advising a range of quoted and unquoted businesses on their acquisition, sale and fundraising (debt and equity) strategies. Since 2011, he has worked as a CFO in a range of private equity backed businesses, covering sectors such as healthcare, infrastructure technology and engineering. He joined MSS in 2020 to support the business with its ongoing growth strategy.
Sarah Cleobury
Group Head of People
Sarah has extensive HR experience, including roles as HR Business Partner at DCC plc, HR Manager at Royal Enfield, and positions at Pera Technology Solutions, DHL, and Tarmac, focusing on employee relations, talent management, and HR strategy. Earlier, Sarah led Cleobury Consulting Limited, providing HR consulting services to clients, specialising in areas including employee relations, talent management, and organisational development.

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