You started your journey at SBS as a customer. How did your career path lead you to your current role as a wholesale asset finance specialist?
I started into wholesale asset finance as a vehicle stock auditor with Black Horse Finance, and later joined MotoNovo’s dealer funding operations team. Over the years, I’ve pretty much done every role connected to dealer funding: vehicle stock auditor, credit analyst, and operations manager. Joining SBS felt like the right next step because it gave me the chance to deepen my industry knowledge, on a global scale. I felt my experience could genuinely add value at SBS, and hopefully make a real impact.
What does your job as a wholesale asset finance specialist actually look like day-to-day?
In simple terms, I help people understand and use our products properly. I mainly work on our SFP Wholesale Servicing, which is the core product. Tools like Digital Audit or Portfolio Management plug into it, so I stay involved there too to make sure everything works well together and solves real client problems. I create training for clients and internal teams, run demos and workshops with customers, and use their feedback to improve the product. I also act as a bridge between product and sales, making sure sales teams understand what’s new, why it matters, and how to explain it clearly in demos.
With such a broad scope, is there a particular project that stands out as especially memorable?
Yes, actually. One project really stood out. We were asked to explore whether our platform could support livestock funding, things like cows or pigs, which is very different from what we usually finance, like cars or machinery. What fascinated me is that livestock is an appreciating asset. You might buy a calf for £500, and two years later it can be worth around £10,000. Figuring out how to handle that from a funding perspective was really interesting. As part of the research, I even visited friends who work in farming and spoke with regulators to understand things like livestock identification and movement. Unlike cars with VIN numbers, cows are tracked in completely different ways. When you factor in regulations, health risks, and costs, it becomes a very complex, but fascinating, area to work on.
What is the main challenge you encounter in wholesale asset finance ?
The biggest challenge, honestly, is language. And not just between English, French, or Spanish. Even within the same region, people use different words for the same processes. For example, unit stocking in the UK is called floor plan funding or inventory funding in North America. Same thing, different name. The same goes for loan repayments: some say “curtailments”, others “part capital payments”. So a big part of the job is asking the right questions and building shared glossaries to make sure everyone is actually talking about the same thing. It even happens internally: what I might call “co-authorisation” is simply called “workflow” in the product. Until everyone aligns on the wording, even simple topics can take longer than expected.
Outside of work, do you have hobbies or interests that influence how you approach work?
Yes, actually. Outside of work, I have an allotment and keep chickens, which probably sounds random, but it really shapes how I think. I don’t see things as isolated tasks, I like connecting the dots and making everything work together. For example, I compost the chicken waste and use it to grow food. It’s about efficiency, reducing waste, and seeing the bigger picture. That mindset carries over into my work as a wholesale asset finance specialist. When I train clients, I don’t just show individual features. I walk them through the full end-to-end process so they understand how everything fits together as one system. And outside of that, I’m also into motorbikes, again, it’s about moving forward in the most efficient, safe, and thoughtful way possible.
Finally, is there a story from your career that really drives home why what you do matters?
I’ve seen some wild situations over the years. One that stands out involved a car dealer in serious financial trouble: he had taken out multiple finance agreements on vehicles, even his own wife’s car, to cover a personal debt. It was a messy situation, and unfortunately the business failed. Stories like this stick with me because they highlight the creativity people can have when business is under pressure. It’s a reminder that in our work, thinking ahead and putting the right controls in place is crucial. That’s where tools like SFP-W Asset Event Queue and Digital Audit come in.
Imagine being able to manage multiple financial interests… automate settlements based on interest types… and, with features like Geo-Ring Fencing, instantly spot when a vehicle moves outside its authorized zone. This is exactly what our solution delivers: early risk detection to protect our lending clients… without ever restricting dealers’ ability to run their business smoothly and efficiently.
Would you like to join the SBS (ex-Sopra Banking Software) adventure? Discover all our job offers on our Careers page by clicking on this link.