The Leasing Foundation appoints Charlotte Downing and Lauren Rhodes to its board
The appointments further strengthen the Foundation’s leadership team and support its continued focus on developing talent, improving inclusion and creating opportunities across the asset finance sector.
Charlotte will co-chair the Foundation’s NextGen workstream alongside Alex McWilliams. Currently head of commercial performance at MSP Capital Ltd, Charlotte brings more than a decades’ experience across asset finance and specialist lending and has been a long-standing supporter of talent development, mentoring and industry engagement.
Charlotte has been actively involved with the Leasing Foundation for several years, having participated in both the inaugural Industry Insights Programme and the Foundation’s first 30 Under 30 cohort. She also co-leads The Network, a community supporting women across asset finance and alternative lending.
Lauren joins as co-chair of the Foundation’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) workstream alongside Helena Thernstrom. Lauren, who is commercial director at Close Brothers, has built her career in asset finance over more than a decade and has become a strong voice on inclusion, progression and talent development within the sector.
Through her role on the Leasing Foundation board, Lauren will help lead the Foundation’s wider EDI agenda while bringing particular focus to social mobility – an area she believes deserves greater attention as part of the industry’s broader inclusion efforts.
Ylva Oertengren, chair of the Leasing Foundation, said: “Lauren and Charlotte are fantastic additions to the board. Both have already demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting people and helping our industry grow. Lauren brings a powerful perspective on social mobility and inclusion, while Charlotte has long been a champion of developing future talent. Their leadership will be invaluable as we continue to grow our EDI and NextGen activities and create opportunities for people across the sector.”
The Leasing Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation focused on supporting the business finance sector through five key workstreams: NextGen, EDI, Innovation, Sustainability and Giving. Its mission is to build a diverse, world-class community and help people at every stage of their careers develop, connect and thrive.