"Over the last year, private sector employment in the Midlands grew more than three times faster than London and the South East."
Advantedge opened its doors in the Midlands earlier this year as it seeks to bring financial support to the 450,000 private sector businesses who make up the Midlands thriving business community.
Mark will be responsible for leading and developing the firm's new business presence in the region building and robust relationships with intermediaries and their clients.
Mark has over three decades of experience in the industry, starting his career at Barclays before moving onto First National and then Bibby Financial Services before settling at Aldermore where he has spent the last 14 years in a sales and business development role across the Midlands.
Advantedge offers a full range of invoice finance facilities to small and medium sized businesses and has funded over £2 billion worth of invoices to British SMEs.
Mark said: “The Midlands are the heartland of the UK’s manufacturing sector and I know the importance of the region to the country’s economy - £222 billion last year and this has grown by 30% in the last decade. The area has played a strong role in the recovery of the UK economy - over the last year, private sector employment in the Midlands grew more than three times faster than London and the South East. It is underpinned by a strong private sector base with well-known global companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce, and JCB. SMEs and micro-businesses are thriving, with nearly 460,000 SMEs and micro enterprises across the region, 8.7% of the UK total. Many of these are an essential part of the supply and service chains supporting the larger businesses.
“Advantedge presented a compelling opportunity which was too good to turn down. They are at a pivotal point with an exciting growth strategy and a real desire to do business. They have access to large funding pools and are happy to provide funding facilities up to £1.5m. I am looking forward to getting on and supporting firms in the Midlands.”
Paul Stokes, regional MD for the Midlands, added: “We are delighted that Mark has joined the team at such an exciting time for the business here in the Midlands. He is well known in the region and has a fantastic reputation for getting deals done. His approach is entirely focussed on delivering the best facility as quickly and as smoothly as possible for his clients. His personable approach supports the relationships that he builds with businesses and their advisors in order to deliver the best financial solutions.”
