Barclays Business has appointed Fiona Harrison as its new regional development manager for the South West.
Fiona, pictured, will be responsible for developing and managing relationships with independent brokers to generate, package and place new commercial mortgage lending propositions of between £50,000 and £3m for businesses seeking finance.
She will also work closely with Barclays Business Mangers across the region.
Fiona ran her own successful business for 10 years alongside managing a mortgage and insurance brokerage for two years. She has worked in the financial services for more than 10 years, including a stint at NatWest in various roles across Wales, South West and the Midlands, before joining Barclays two years ago.
Fiona said: “I’m thrilled to be joining this UK-wide team. This is a great opportunity to work closely with SMEs in the South West by increasing the amount of broker business we’re able to facilitate in what is still a challenging economic climate.”
Barclays national business development manager Peter Caldicott added: “As a major player within the business banking market, the creation of this new role demonstrates our commitment to this highly-competitive industry.
“We’ve already doubled the amount of broker business this year compared to 2011, which has to be good news for local businesses, the broking community and the economy across the region.”
Fiona recently completed her Masters in Business Studies. In her spare time she raises more than £25,000 a year for children’s charities, including the Maji Safi project in Africa for which she and Bristol corporate colleagues helped raise £12,000 to buy a school bus, and Dreamflight, a UK charity which funds once-in-a-lifetime trips to Florida for children suffering from life-limiting illnesses and severe health issues.