Leonard Curtis has announced a key hire for its funding division, welcoming Craig Jones - an expert with more than two decades of banking and finance experience - as its Business Development Manager for the Midlands.
Craig joins Leonard Curtis following two decades in the financial sector including roles at HSBC (where he managed 160 SME clients as part of the commercial team) and Handelsbanken, where he worked as a Certified Private Banking Manager.
His role as Business Development Manager will involve helping businesses secure commercial funding, ranging from property finance to cashflow solutions such as invoice finance to bad debt protection - drawing on his experience in securing commercial mortgages, commercial loans and cashflow solutions to guarantee excellent service.
Craig stated: “At Leonard Curtis, I feel that we have a great opportunity to explore and develop our relationships with local accountants, solicitors, and other professionals by being there and accountable at the end of a personal phone, or face-to-face when businesses need help or have exciting opportunities to grow.
“Many high street commercial lenders use a credit scoring system to make lending decisions, but there is also a place for professional, experienced and expert decision-making. With over 200 lenders to choose from, we really are able to explore many different funding options thus expanding the horizons and opportunities for our clients.
“To me, the important part is having a desire to understand the business, understand what it means to the owners and key stakeholders, and finding out the future plans. If you do that well with professionalism, honesty and integrity, then the right solution is much easier to find and long lasting relationships are built.”
Gary Cain, Head of Funding at Leonard Curtis, stated: “Craig is a welcome addition to the team and will help push the Leonard Curtis profile in the Midlands region.
“Our funding pillar continues to expand and service the ever increasing regional office network of the wider group.
“Craig’s experience of handling a client portfolio and the challenges that brings, makes him a good asset to the region and I’ve no doubt that his problem solving skills will be put to good use.”
Conrad Beighton, Head of Midlands at Leonard Curtis, added: “We are delighted to welcome Craig to the Midlands region.
“His experience and professionalism will help support the funding pillar in the Midlands and his previous roles with Handelsbanken and HSBC demonstrate a good track record of dealing with a broad range of client funding requirements.”
ENDS -
About Leonard Curtis
Leonard Curtis is a multi-disciplinary professional services group. From its 28 regional offices across the UK and the Channel Islands, it employs over 290 people, specialising in restructuring & insolvency, funding, and legal services for SMEs, larger corporates, and their advisers.