2019 forecast: Madeleine McDougall (Lloyds Bank)

As an industry, we need to further promote construction sector apprenticeships to help address a yawning skills gap.

I’m pleased to see continued diversity of bank debt to bridge the gap between short-term and long-term products, with Lloyds Bank covering all maturities and including seven-year term loans.

Values have already softened in some sectors so there will be some cautiousness.

Banks and management teams will continue to work closely to better understand trends and get the borrower’s mix of assets right. This continues to make transparency on both sides and a partnership approach important.

Resolution: I’ve got three. Firstly, to innovate – continuing to adapt has never been more essential. Secondly, to promote more female role models – there needs to be a network for women to reach out to and I want to help expand the one in banking and our industry. Thirdly, to help improve mental health at work – we’ve introduced and will continue to roll out resilience training as part of this.

Madeleine McDougall, head of real estate and housing of Lloyds Bank