British Business Bank appoints UK director for South and East England
The British Business Bank has appointed Warren Ralls as UK network director, South and East of England.
The British Business Bank – the government-owned economic development bank dedicated to making finance markets work better for smaller businesses – has established a UK Network, with team members based within each of the English regions and the three devolved nations.
The UK Network works with small business finance intermediaries to enhance business finance ecosystems across the UK, so smaller businesses, wherever they are, can grow and prosper. It also helps the Bank develop a deeper understanding of small business finance markets in all parts of the UK, so that, ultimately, the Bank can improve its support to smaller businesses and enhance collaboration and coordination amongst business finance intermediaries.
Warren and his team will represent the UK Network across the South and East of England and will engage closely with business finance intermediaries in these areas.
Prior to joining the Bank, Warren was director for the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Network, the representative body for the 38 LEPs operating across England, leading a network of LEP Chairs and CEOs throughout the country. Warren has also held a number of economic development roles across the south of England, including positions with South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), Business Link for Surrey, Urban Futures London Ltd. and TS²k.
Judith Hartley, managing director, UK Network, said: “Warren brings with him a wide network of senior stakeholder contacts across not just the South and East of the country but the whole of England. I am confident he will be a great addition to the team as we work to help identify and reduce imbalances in access to finance for smaller businesses across those regions.”
Warren Ralls, UK network director, South and East of England said: “I am delighted to be joining the British Business Bank at such an important time for the UK business community. Working with colleagues in the UK Network, I am thrilled to be helping smaller businesses across the UK to be better informed about how to access sources of investment at all stages of their development, as highlighted in the government’s Industrial Strategy. This role will require the close support of stakeholders across the South and East of England, and I look forward to continuing existing relationships and building new ones.”
The UK Network is part of the British Business Bank’s new Demand Development Unit, which has been specifically created to raise the Bank’s profile and relationship with smaller businesses across the UK. The Demand Development Unit also incorporates the Bank’s recently launched Finance Hub, a digital information hub aimed at raising awareness of the finance options available to UK SMEs. It is the source of independent information for growing businesses and offers guidance for scale-up, high growth and potential high growth businesses using interactive content.
