Advantedge Commercial Finance appoint Mark Finn to regional managing director role
Advantedge Commercial Finance (Advantedge), a leading invoice financier, has appointed Mark Finn as its regional managing director – Thames Valley and South. Mark will be responsible for leading the continued development of the firms’ presence in the region.
The appointment follows what has been a tumultuous year for UK businesses as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Despite this, the Thames Valley remains one of the most economically successful regions in the UK and with lockdown restrictions easing, Advantedge is committed to supporting the regions SME population as the green shoots of recovery begin to show and firms look to get firmly back on their feet.
Mark brings with him a wealth of experience in asset-based lending having spent over two decades in both leadership and operational roles gained across the banking sector and independent funders with Barclays, Kellock and the Bank of Scotland. He joins Advantedge from Bibby Financial Services where he spent over a decade leading both their invoice discounting business and latterly their Corporate division. He was responsible for leading a team of forty managing a portfolio of clients with a turnover in excess of £5m.
Advantedge were recently acquired by US based eCapital Corp, a leading North American provider of speciality lending solutions, with the existing management team retaining a 20% stake in the company. With the added funding and security that eCapital delivers it provides the strength from which to continue their plans to support UK businesses as they come through the pandemic.
As Mark comments: “Despite the pandemic, the region remains one of the most economically successful in the UK. With major cities such as Oxford, Reading, and Southampton, the region is forecast to grow faster than any other region in the UK, outside of London to 2025*. Despite Gross Value Added (GVA) forecasted to have dropped by 10% in 2020, the region is expected to grow by 9.4%, above the UK average of 7.33%, driven by strong sectors such as technology, business services and scientific research. As the UK looks to ‘build back better’ from the pandemic, businesses need to ensure they have sufficient resources to capitalise on the opportunities that arise. I have been impressed by the flexible funding support Advantedge have been and continue to provide to businesses throughout these challenging times”.
Mark’s mission will be to continue growing the Thames Valley based client sales and operational centre, building upon the firms existing successful operations in the Newport, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow as the firm continues to focus on being close to their clients and understanding local differences and the support required
As Mark continues: “I am delighted to be joining the team at Advantedge who believe that businesses based in the Thames Valley and Southern region have a crucial role to play in driving the economy post the pandemic. They are committed to delivering a locally based operation which understands local businesses and their markets. The opportunity to join a business in the sector, with such a strong commercial perspective, access to large funding pools and a commitment to delivering a market leading service, was impossible to ignore. With funding facilities available up to £2m I am looking forward to supporting firms in the region as they work their way back from the effects of coronavirus.”
Advantedge, offer a full range of invoice finance facilities to small and medium sized businesses delivering fast and flexible finance solutions to clients on their own terms.
As David Tilling, CEO of Advantedge concludes: “We are delighted that Mark has joined the team. He has built a credible reputation as a leader in the invoice finance sector and has a reputation for delivering exceptional customer service with a track record for building and leading teams. We remain committed to personal and local relationships to ensure we can deliver empathetic solutions that meet our clients’ expectations. Mark’s client centric approach makes him an ideal choice to lead our expansion in the Thames Valley and South. He understands the importance of building transparent and local relationships with businesses and their advisors, and we are looking forward to continuing to make a difference to businesses in the region.”
*https://www.ey.com/en_uk/unlocking-ambitions-of-private-businesses-and-their-owners/assessing-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-thames-valley
