Bibby Financial Services appoints sales head

Bibby Financial Services has appointed Oliver Batley as head of sales for its asset finance division to accelerate growth across its broker and vendor networks.

Batley joins from Lloyds Banking Group, where he spent 14 years in the asset finance market, most recently as area sales director within its commercial banking sales division.

Based in Leeds, he will lead a team of eight with responsibility for expanding the company’s regional operations nationwide. The appointment forms part of a broader growth strategy that also includes plans to enter new commercial sectors and recruit additional staff in the coming months.

Batley said: "Bibby Financial Services is a unique business that puts customers at the heart of its approach, so I’m delighted to join at such an exciting time in our development. We have a fantastic opportunity to accelerate our growth further, and I’m looking forward to working with new brokers and vendors, as well as reconnecting with my existing network."

Theo Chatha, chief financial officer and managing director of specialist finance at Bibby Financial Services, added: "As a business, we’re committed to growing our support for UK SMEs and asset finance is a key part of our strategy. We’re delighted to welcome Oliver to the team at such a pivotal time in our growth journey. Attracting an individual of his capability is testament to our ambition to bolster our support for SMEs and brokers as well as building new vendor partnerships."