Finance & Leasing Association
Richard Jones, Chairman
Managing Director, Black Horse, Consumer Finance
Richard was appointed as Managing Director of Black Horse, Consumer Finance in July 2015. He is a member of Consumer Finance Executive Committee, reporting to David Oldfield, David Oldfield, Group Director, Retail and Consumer Finance.
Black Horse provides point-of-sale finance to over 600,000 end consumers to purchase new and used cars, caravans, motorhomes and motorbikes, sold by 2,600 motor dealers operating through 6,000 dealerships. The business also supports international motor manufacturers and UK motor dealerships with their growth strategies, as well as providing them with vehicle stock funding.
Richard’s previous role was Director of At Retirement, Bancassurance and Protection, Insurance where his responsibilities included developing and running protection and retirement propositions that met the needs and provided good value for over three million customers. In addition, Richard led the Bancassurance relationships with the Retail, Wealth and Commercial Banking divisions within LBG, ensuring these were aligned strategically and worked together effectively for the benefit of the customers. Richard was also a member of the Insurance Executive Committee and led LP&I’s Retention Strategy Development and Implementation and was the Executive lead for LP&I Treating Customers Fairly and Conduct Strategy Programmes.
Prior to that Richard has held a number of senior roles within Insurance over the last 10 years, mostly in Proposition and Marketing areas. Richard started his career in Finance and Banking before moving to Insurance in 2002 to run the CEO`s office for Scottish Widows and the Insurance Division. Richard then moved into Marketing where he developed and ran a number of market leading propositions including Protection for Life, the Retirement Account Pension and Drawdown Proposition and operated across Bancassurance, Intermediary and Direct Distribution channels.
Outside of work Richard enjoys spending time with his family and having as much fun on his mountain bike as his fitness and fear of crashing allows.
Steve Bolton, Board Director
Co-Head of Asset Finance at Barclays
Steve started his career at NatWest before moving into the Contract Hire market. Steve joined Barclays in 2003 in a Sales Leadership role, was appointed to the Barclays Asset Finance board in 2013, and now has co-head responsibility for Barclays’ UK Leasing activity.
Steve joined the FLA Board in 2014.
Debbie Burton, Board Director
Chief Executive Officer, Central Trust Limited
Debbie has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services sector. She spent the first 10 years of her career at the Nationwide Building Society.
She joined the Norfolk Capital Limited Group in 1998 and was promoted through various leadership roles, taking up the position of Chief Executive for Central Trust Limited in January 2015. Debbie is also Chief Executive for two of the Groups other specialist lending businesses.
Debbie lives in Hertfordshire, is a keen gardener and time permitting enjoys participating in and watching most sports.
David Carson, Board Director
Director of Legal & Regulatory Affairs, BNP Paribas Personal Finance
David was appointed as Director of Legal & Regulatory Affairs at BNP Paribas Personal Finance in 2015. He is company secretary and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee as well as being a member of the Commercial, Operations and Transformation Management Committees. In addition, David is a member of the Internal Control, Customer Conduct, Revenue and New Products & Activities Control Committees.
Since joining the business in 2004, he has been responsible for the Insurance, Complaints, Learning & Development, Compliance Monitoring, Regulatory Policy & Legal functions. Prior to joining Personal Finance, David worked in the Insurance industry for more than 20 years with his main focus being Learning & Development, Compliance Monitoring and Regulatory Policy.
Within FLA he has been a member of the Consumer Finance Division Legal Committee and Regulatory Reform Working Group and he is currently a member of the CFD Management Committee.
David is a keen cyclist and despite living in Saintfield, Northern Ireland, is an avid Brighton & Hove Albion fan.
Nigel Clibbens, Board Director
Chief Financial Officer, The Car Finance Company
Nigel is Chief Financial Officer at The Car Finance Company. Prior to this, he was Chief Operating Officer at Lombard and a Non-Executive Director at Motability Operations.
Nigel graduated from Queen Mary, University of London, and trained with KPMG as a chartered accountant. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry, specialising in the disciplines of finance, risk and operations, primarily in the asset and motor finance sectors.
Married with two children, Nigel lives in Kent and, time permitting, enjoys golf, running and watching football.
Joe Crump, Board Director
General Manager, Honda Finance Europe Plc
Joe Crump is the General Manager of Honda Finance Europe Plc who are the captive finance arm of Honda in the UK. The company supports the sales of both cars and motorcycles in the UK and assists Honda's European branches with financing activities as and when required. He has 10 years motor finance experience and prior to becoming General Manager in February of 2014 he held the position of Head of Finance and Credit. Joe is a qualified CIMA accountant since 2002 and qualified as a Treasurer with the ACT in 2013.
Outside of work Joe enjoys running, triathlons and surfing.
Bill Dost, Board Director
Managing Director, D&D Leasing
Rev. Dr. K. Bill Dost, an entrepreneur with interests in a variety of fields, got his start in the Asset Finance field over 15 years ago working for Fidelity Leasing.
In the year 2000 in Canada he started D&D Leasing to service the entrepreneurial segment of the SME field and expanded into the UK in 2008 when he opened D&D Leasing UK Ltd. He sits on a number of boards including the Finance & Leasing Association, Asset Finance Professionals Association and the Toronto Chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization where he is the 2013-2014 President.
A Fellow of the Leasing Foundation, he believes it is not enough to simply run a finance company successfully but that one must give back into their community both in their own business and outside of it as well, to that end he not only serves on various FLA committees but also holds an annual charity event to raise awareness and funds for small and often unknown charities.
Among other degrees he holds a Doctorate of Theology and an MBA in Human Resource Management.
Gordon Ferguson, Board Director
Director & Head of HP & Leasing, Lloyds Bank HP & Leasing
Gordon started in Asset Finance 27 years ago in North West Securities and has remained in the Bank of Scotland Group ever since, having a multitude of roles which have incorporated all aspects of Asset Finance from Motor/Consumer, but predominantly in the Business Finance sector. He also spent 8 years in the Invoice Discounting market, heading up Bank of Scotland Cashflow Finance before its merger with Lloyds Bank in 2009. Gordon took up his current role as Director & Head of HP & Leasing in Lloyds Bank where he has UK wide responsibility for the end to end business UK wide. Lloyds Bank HP & Leasing is a bank focused business that faces both internally and externally and works alongside LBG network colleagues delivering good customer outcomes.
Ian Isaac, Board Director
Managing Director, Lombard Sales, Asset Finance
Ian Isaac is Head of Lombard Sales, the UK’s largest provider of asset finance and part of The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Ian is responsible for the leadership of asset finance across all UK business sectors, from SMEs to large corporates.
In this role and as Chairman of the FLA AFD, also governor of the Leasing Foundation, Ian is committed to raising awareness of the alternative forms of finance that are available to businesses in the UK. Asset finance, in particular, offers businesses a number of benefits to help them grow and improve their competitiveness whether in the domestic or global marketplace.
Ian’s career at RBS has stretched across 29 years, initially joining Lombard as an account executive and since then he has advanced through the business holding senior positions within both Lombard and its parent, including roles in Change Management, Risk and Strategy.
His achievements stem from an early commitment to a career in financial services. Ian qualified as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in 1989, and the following year he succeeded in achieving a Finance and Leasing Higher Diploma, gaining the top student award.
Married with three children, Ian is a keen sportsman who, since hanging up his cricket boots, enjoys playing golf.
Paul Jennings
Managing Director, JCB Finance Ltd
Paul Jennings is Managing Director of JCB Finance Ltd, a long term joint venture between JCB Group and RBS, which provides asset finance facilities to JCB’s dealers and customers in the UK – ranging from Local Authorities, PLCs, SMEs and owner operators.
Paul began his career began at Barclays Bank but during 40 years’ of service at JCB Finance, he has held many different roles including Administration, I.T., Risk Management, Underwriting, Sales Director and ultimately Managing Director.
Professional qualifications include: Associate of the London Institute of Banking & Finance (ACIB), Fellow of Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), CMI Executive Diploma in Management 2007, winner of the 2007 CMI Sir Henry Fildes National Merit Award.
Paul’s vendor finance specialism will bring a useful perspective to his role as Vice-Chairman of the FLA Asset Finance Division.
Married with an adult son and daughter, Paul lives in Staffordshire and particularly enjoys spending time with his family and also, after refraining from non-league badminton and five-a-side football, looking after his classic car
James McGee
Managing Director, Northridge Finance
James has worked in the asset finance industry since 1986 with Bank of Ireland (Northridge Finance). Having held various sales roles during this time, he saw the Northridge business spread geographically from Northern Ireland to all of the UK in 2003, and was then appointed Managing Director of Northridge Finance in 2010.
James is married with three (grown up) children, and lives in Creggan, Co Antrim. He is an economics graduate and a proud holder of the Finance Houses Association Diploma. Outside work, he enjoys distance running and gardening, and dreaming of that day when Spurs wins a major trophy.
Robert Owen
Managing Director, United Trust Bank
Robert has over 30 years’ experience in the UK banking and building society sectors. He joined the Burnley Building Society in 1976 and in his early career was General Manager at the Haywards Heath and subsequently Head of Lending and Arrears at the Yorkshire Building Society.
In 1995, he joined Lloyds TSB as divisional director of the consumer finance division, latterly as Managing Director of Endeavour Personal Finance a specialist lending subsidiary of the bank. From 2000 to 2006 he was Chief Executive at Matlock Bank where he founded London Mortgage Company.
In February 2007 he became the Senior Independent Director at Al Rayan Bank plc, undertaking the roles of Chairman of the Audit committee and taking over as Chairman of the bank during the transfer of ownership. He stepped down from this NED role in 2014.
Currently Robert is a Managing Director at United Trust Bank and an NED at Protection Products Ltd, a specialist insurance company.
He has BA and MBA degrees, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers.
Carol Roberts, Board Director
Formerly CEO, Bibby Leasing Ltd
Carol is a Director and Governor of the Leasing Foundation
Stephen Sklaroff, Board Director
Director General, FLA
Stephen graduated from Edinburgh University in 1980. After finishing his PhD in Biochemistry at University College London in 1984, he worked in several Government Departments including the former Department of Energy, where he served in the Secretary of State’s office.
He spent 3 years in the British Embassy in Washington, where he was responsible for energy, environment and telecommunications policy. Subsequently, he held a variety of posts in the Department of Trade and Industry (now the Department for Business), including Director of Resource Management and Procurement. He was a Board member of Companies House, the National Weights & Measures Laboratory and the Employment Tribunals Service, and was Head of Communications for three successive Secretaries of State: Margaret Beckett, Peter Mandelson and Stephen Byers.
Stephen left the Civil Service in 2000 to become Deputy Director General of the Association of British Insurers. He was responsible for a wide range of issues including general and life insurance, savings policy, EU and international affairs, public affairs and communication, and HR and finance.
In 2007 Stephen became Director General of the Finance and Leasing Association, which represents the UK’s specialist lending companies. He is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers.
Stephen is married to Sarah-Jane and lives in Pimlico, where he is Churchwarden of St Gabriel’s, Warwick Square. His personal interests include history, theology and music.
Tim Smith, Board Director
Head of Motor Finance, Blackhorse Motor Finance
Tim Smith is Head of Motor Finance for Black Horse Motor Finance. He has over 25 years of experience in the Finance Industry and has held Regional Director positions in the Midlands, South and North prior to being appointed as head of the national motor finance team.
He lives in a village near Leicester where he enjoys walking with his dogs.
Tom Woolgrove, Board Director
Chief Executive, Premium Credit
Tom was appointed Chief Executive at Premium Credit in January 2016. Premium Credit is the UK and Ireland’s leading provider of insurance premium finance, and financing other annual commitments such as school fees, memberships and professional fees. Premium Credit is owned by Cinven, a leading European Private Equity firm. Previously, Tom held Interim roles as Deputy CEO at OakNorth Bank, a new SME lending challenger bank, and Interim CEO of Flood Re, the new industry led reinsurance vehicle for safeguarding affordable UK flood insurance, developed in partnership with HM Government.
Formerly, he was Managing Director, UK Personal Lines, and a member of the Direct Line Group Executive Committee. He was a significant contributor to the successful Direct Line Group IPO in October 2012. He has worked at Lloyds Banking Group and HBOS, where he held various Managing Director roles in both banking and insurance, and was a strategy consultant at Gemini Consulting, part of the Cap Gemini group. He is a Past President of the Chartered Insurance Institute. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he was a Fulbright scholar, and a Master’s degree in Engineering and Management from Oxford University.