Santander expands trade finance team

Santander Corporate & Commercial Banking is extending its support for businesses looking to expand through international trade, with the appointment of three regional specialists.

Peter Smith, Chris Lynch and Simon Dunn have joined Santander’s trade finance team as product directors for the north west, for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and for the north east and Cumbria respectively. This brings the team up to 18.

Peter has 35 years’ banking experience specialising in trade finance, having previously worked for HSBC and Fortis. Chris has been working in the sector for 15 years in a career that includes roles at Barclays, Lloyds and RBS, and Simon has more than 23 years’ banking experience with Lloyds Banking Group, with hands-on experience working with exporting and importing businesses.

All three will be responsible for developing and growing the business in their respective regions. They will work with local partners to provide the best possible advice and service to businesses with turnovers of up to £50m.

The team is led by Martin Hodges, head of trade finance. He has been actively growing Santander’s trade finance division since its inception in 2009. In the past three years, he has grown the business from a team of two and a handful of customers to a multi-million pound lending specialist supporting hundreds of smaller businesses across the UK.

Martin said: “It is great to welcome such experienced team members at such an exciting time for the bank. Over the past few years Santander has been establishing itself as a major supporter of businesses trading overseas, and with this expanded team in place I look forward to extending this support to businesses across the north, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“A strong regionally-based team enables us to build local knowledge and treat all of our customers on an individual basis, getting to know their businesses and international aspirations so we can put together the best financial solutions to help them meet these aims. Our partnerships with organisations like UK Trade and Investment enable to provide a holistic relationship with our customers, focusing on support and advice over the long- term.”