ThinCats appoints new business development director for the South West and Wales
ThinCats, the leading alternative finance provider to regional mid-sized SMEs, has announced today the appointment of Richard Bowles as its new director of regional business development for the South West and Wales.
Richard brings a wealth of experience within the banking and finance industry, having previously worked at Deutsche Bank, NatWest and HSBC. He joins ThinCats from Santander where he has spent the last six years as a relationship director covering the corporate and commercial markets.
As business development director, Richard is set to play a key role in servicing the increasing levels of demand for funding to support the growth ambitions of mid-sized SMEs across the South West and Wales.
To date, ThinCats have lent more than £100m across the region. ThinCats is also accredited under the British Business Bank’s Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) and recently announced a significant strategic investment of £160m from Wafra Capital Partners WCP). The investment from WCP, alongside senior bank and institutional funding, enables ThinCats to lend a further £2bn over the next few years.
Richard Bowles, director of regional business development for the South West and Wales: “ThinCats has an excellent reputation amongst advisors and the wider business community. I’m looking forward to working with our teams in the regions to expand our capacity while maintaining the bespoke, personal service which is key to meeting the needs of mid-sized SMEs, particularly as they look to grow out of the pandemic.”
Mike Hackett, head of business development, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Richard to ThinCats as part of our ongoing investment in expanding our offer in the South West and Wales. ThinCats has been active in the regions over the last few years, lending over £100m to SMEs. I look forward to seeing Richard continue this work.”
