Advantedge Commercial Finance secures Ruth Bethel in business development role
Advantedge Commercial Finance (Advantedge), a leading invoice financier, has appointed Ruth Bethel to the role of business development manager for the Southwest region. The move sees Ruth re-join the business having left in March 2017. Ruth will be responsible for leading the continued development of the firms’ presence in the region working through financial advisors to help businesses access the funding they require.
The appointment follows what has been a tumultuous year for businesses and Advantedge are expressing their ongoing commitment to supporting the SME population as the green shoots of recovery begin to show and firms look to get firmly back on their feet.
Ruth brings a long track record in financial services. With two decades under her belt at Barclays she moved on to spells with Royal Bank of Scotland and Bibby Financial Services in business development roles. Over the last four years she has moved into a business development role with Albert Goodman then Business West supporting and advising business owners under a Covid 19 recovery project. She also works with a manufacturing company Track Systems UK Ltd so has practical experience of the challenges facing the SME sector.
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 Ruth comments: “I am absolutely delighted to be re-joining Advantedge at what is a crucially important time for businesses and bringing my experience to support their recovery. The South West’s economy has been hard hit by the pandemic and reports suggest the region is unlikely to return to its pre-pandemic levels until 2024 with slow growth – 0.26% gross value added (GVA) being seen over the next few years. Despite this, some cities in the region – Bristol and Exeter – are forecast to do better with an average 0.54% GVA to 2023 on the back of the real estate and professional services sectors. Advantedge are committed to ensuring businesses have the right funding solutions to capitalise on opportunities as they arise. With funding facilities available up to £2m, I am looking forward to playing a part in the regions recovery.”
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 Bryn Ible, regional managing director of Advantedge concludes: “We are delighted that Ruth has re-joined the team. She has a credible reputation in the region for delivering fast funding solutions to businesses looking to access finance to make their plans become a reality. Advantedge remain committed to personal and local relationships to ensure we can deliver empathetic solutions that meet our clients’ expectations. She 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.”