Alternative funding specialist ThinCats has appointed Alison Whistance in a senior management role to cover its South West region.
Alison, pictured, joins as origination manager, South-West, as the firm gears up for its next period of growth. 
ThinCats, an online peer-to-peer lending platform that allows investors to make secured loans directly to businesses, recently announced a £200m funding programme in conjunction with parent company ESF Capital.
Alison arrives from RBS/NatWest, where she has worked for the past nine years in senior manager and business development roles across private, business, commercial, and corporate banking.
Her most recent role was business development director, specialising in asset-based lending across the South West and Wales.
This was an origination role focussed on secured lending against receivables, inventory, plant & machinery and property, creating bespoke lending solutions to meet clients’ needs.
Alison said: “I am looking forward to helping SMEs across the M4 corridor achieve their growth aspirations, especially where there is a viable business with a strong management team that the banks ‘want’ but ‘can’t’ lend to.
“There are many high-growth businesses across the UK which are being restricted by limited access to bank funding and I believe ThinCats can really offer an alternative solution to SMEs in this space.
“I am excited to begin my career in alternative funding, and see this playing an integral part in UK SME lending in the future.”
ThinCats chief development officer Damon Walford added: “We’re delighted that a professional of the calibre of Alison has chosen to join ThinCats.
“We welcome her at a very exciting time; not only for our company, but also for the South-West economy. We’re sure her in-depth knowledge of local SMEs, brokers and intermediaries across the region will bring forward a host of new funding opportunities over the coming months and years.”
