In brief

Equipment leasing insurance provider Acquis has appointed Lisa Farrell to its board of directors as chief operating officer.

Farrell has held several senior operational roles – most recently as general manager and operations leader at GE Capital Equipment Finance – in which she built a track record of improving processes and developing innovative solutions, Acquis said.

In her new role as COO, Farrell will hold responsibility for the company’s specialist multi-lingual contact centre, as well as the claims management and underwriting functions.

Total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 3 per cent in July 2021 compared with the same month in 2020, according to figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA).

The business equipment finance and plant and machinery finance sectors reported new business up in July by 47 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, compared with the same month in 2020. Over the same period, new business in the IT equipment finance sector fell by 51 per cent.

Société Générale Factoring, the subsidiary of Société Générale dedicated to factoring, has announced a partnership with the secured-lending platform vendor HPD Lendscape.

Société Générale Factoring’s “open factoring” environment has been aligned with the latest Lendscape API framework, the companies said in a statement.

Using HPD Lendscape’s technology and their micro-service solutions, SocGen Factoring has developed its bespoke client-facing web portal, in fact, which delivers value-add online experiences to its factoring and supply chain clients – including professionals, SMEs, non-profit organisations and corporates.

Global asset finance provider DLL has announced that chief executive officer (CEO) William F. Stephenson will retire at the end of 2021.

In his announcement to DLL’s global workforce, Stephenson said his focus was on, “ensuring the company has a strong finish to the 2021 business year and is positioned for continued growth and success in 2022 and beyond.” He will also assist with finding his successor and ensuring a smooth transition of leadership to the successful candidate.

Simply has appointed William Devine to the newly created role of head of Scotland, to expand the lender’s commercial offering to the country.

Devine joined Simply three years ago, following a long career in the hard asset space across Scotland and the UK with various funders. In his new role, William will have full responsibility for Simply’s offering in Scotland and he will contribute to the overall growth strategy of the business, targeting further success in the country with customers, brokers, and dealers.

Nordic-based Banqsoft has joined Leaseurope as its latest associate member, offering experience with digitalisation within the leasing and auto finance sector.

Banqsoft offers software solutions for asset finance companies, digital banks and credit management providers – through one online platform. Origination, contract management, front-end solutions, fleet management, reporting and business analytics are all accessible on its platform.

Leaseurope is a trade body representing the leasing and automotive rental industry in Europe and comprises 46 associations across the continent.

QV Systems, a SaaS provider for the financing and leasing industries, has announced the appointment of former Banking Works MD Louise Ikonomides as strategic enterprise consultant.

Ikonomides will be responsible for growing customer relationships and developing QV Systems’ technology offerings as the company looks to sustain its recent rapid growth and further develop the company’s innovative financing and leasing software.

Since 2011, QV Systems has been rolling out its Accelerate platform: a cloud-based system that digitises lending and leasing processes for automotive and asset finance companies.

Specialist commercial lender Wesleyan Bank has announced it will be expanding its credit team with two new hires following a strong start to the year, during which £60m of new funding was given to businesses in the first six months of 2021 resulting in its highest ever loan book.

Rob Irving has been appointed senior underwriter, whilst Essie Quinnell will join the team as a credit underwriter. Together, they will bring a combined industry experience of 20 years to their new team.

North West-based debt and equity capital provider Praetura Group has announced the creation of Praetura Invoice Finance (PIF), a new financial division designed to unlock flexible finance for SMEs.

PIF will support UK-wide SMEs from a range of different sectors by helping them to obtain funding against unpaid invoices, with the goal of allowing them to free up resources and capital to grow other areas of the business.

PIF will be led by managing director Ray Lowrey, who has more than 30 years’ experience in commercial finance, Praetura said.

Grenke AG shareholders rejected the proposed remuneration system for the supervisory board during the company’s virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 29 July. A counter-motion concerning the amended remuneration system received 71.55 per cent approval.

The proposed remuneration system for the board of directors was approved by 93.12 per cent, while 70.15 per cent voted in favour of reducing the maximum remuneration.

The board of directors and supervisory board members were all discharged for the 2020 financial year by a large majority.