On Thursday, Funding Circle announced it has appointed Cath Keers as its new non-executive board member. According to the online lender, Keers has more than three decades of professional and leadership experience within the retail, consumer, digital, and technology sectors. She currently serves as a Non-Executive Director for Sage Group and TalkTalk. She is also Chairman of ustwo, which provides digital products and services to clients such as DeepMind and Jaguar Land Rover.
Speaking about her new role at Funding Circle, Keers stated:
“Funding Circle is changing how the world’s small businesses access finance, and the impact it’s had on the economy and job creation over the past eight years is inspiring. I am impressed by the management team’s depth of insight and experience. I share the team’s commitment to delivering the best results for customers, and the company’s high levels of repeat business demonstrate that both investors and borrowers also recognise this passion.”
Funding Circle also reported that Keers’ appointment comes as lending through its platform surpasses £4.5 billion, including over £2 billion in loans under management globally, and more than $1 billion of loans facilitated through its platform to date in the US. Samir Desai, CEO and Co-Founder of Funding Circle, added:
“Our vision at Funding Circle is to rewire the financial landscape in order to give small businesses and investors a better deal. Cath’s experience and knowledge will be invaluable as we continue to work towards fulfilling this vision and building a category-defining global company. I am delighted to welcome Cath to the team.”
Since launching in 2010, Funding Circle has opened up small business lending to a wide range of investors, including over 70,000 retail investors, banks, asset management companies, insurance companies, government-backed entities, and funds.