Bath-based specialist lender 1pm has made two senior appointments to support the ambitious growth of its asset division in the North.
Ian Kavanagh joins the division as business development manager. He will be responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with intermediaries in the North and supporting businesses looking for asset-based funding solutions. 
Stuart Berry is the new broker manager in the asset division. He will be responsible for managing and growing its network of brokers across the North.
Ian, pictured right, brings more than 17 years’ experience of the asset finance sector, having previously worked at HSBC Commercial Finance.
Starting his career as a sales administrator in 2001, he worked his way up the ranks, securing several internal promotions to become a business development manager in 2008.
Providing finance solutions to small to medium-sized businesses, Ian has spent the past decade working closely with business owners to truly understand their business needs and present the most viable funding options.
He said: “I genuinely believe that supporting businesses through providing access to finance is crucial to ensure long-term sustainable growth for the UK. SMEs are undoubtedly the backbone of the economy but remain largely underserved, underfunded and often overcharged.”
Stuart, pictured right, has more than 20 years’ experience in the sector, the past 12 in broker management roles with lenders such as General Asset Management, Shire Leasing and, most recently, Ignition Credit.
He said: “Having worked with a wide range of brokers in recent years, I am now looking forward to building relationships with and growing 1pm’s network of introducing brokers.
“Joining 1pm comes at an exciting time, with recent figures revealing that 61% of businesses choose to go to a specialist funder outside their bank relationship, demonstrating that UK businesses recognise the depth and flexibility that alternative funders can offer.”
The appointments come as 1pm continues to strengthen its business development team. Earlier this year it made a number of high-profile appointments including Carol Roberts as head of asset and Lorraine Neyland as head of risk.
Carol Roberts said: “As a group we are committed to providing our broker community and clients with an excellent service which is tailored to their individual requirements. We recognised a need for an increased presence in the North to support brokers looking for financial solutions and are delighted to welcome Stuart to the broker management team to take on this role.
“With a proven track record we are confident that Stuart will be a great addition to our team and support us as we continue to strive to deliver market-leading soft and hard asset financial solutions.”
“I am also delighted to welcome Ian, who is a seasoned finance professional and will help drive our direct presence in the market. I look forward to his contribution as we continue to invest in our asset division. We are entering an exciting new stage of our evolution and Ian will prove to be a key member of the team tasked with delivering growth.”
1pm provides access to a multi-product range of business finance packages from asset finance, invoice finance, commercial loans through to vehicle finance. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market.
