ThinCats hires Santander veteran in business development role
ThinCats has appointed Richard Bowles as director of regional business development for the South West and Wales.
Bowles (pictured) has joined the alternative lender from Santander where he has spent the last six years as a relationship director covering the corporate and commercial markets. He has experience in the banking and finance industry, having previously worked at Deutsche Bank, NatWest and HSBC.
Bowles will help grow ThinCats’ lending to mid-sized small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South West and Wales. To date, the lender has deployed over £100m across the region.
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“ThinCats has an excellent reputation amongst advisors and the wider business community,” said Bowles.
“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.”
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“I’m delighted to welcome Richard to ThinCats as part of our ongoing investment in expanding our offer in the South West and Wales,” said Mike Hackett, head of business development at ThinCats.
“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.”
In September, ThinCats announced it will deliver up to £300m to businesses through the British Business Bank’s ENABLE Guarantee programme, thanks to a funding deal with investment bank Citi.
In July, the alternative lender was accredited to the recovery loan scheme and in June it revealed a £160m investment from Kuwait-backed Wafra Capital Partners which will help it lend up to £2bn to SMEs over the coming years.