Shire Leasing is pleased to announce the appointment of Martin Ardern as ICT Sales Director, a strategic move to strengthen the company’s vendor finance capabilities within the ICT and Technology sectors.
Martin Ardern brings over 30 years of experience in asset finance, with more than two decades focused specifically on the Technology sector. Throughout his illustrious career, Ardern has honed his expertise in financing IT solutions and infrastructure, holding senior positions at European finance companies, including BNP Paribas as ICT Sales Director, GE Capital as Sales Director, and Lloyds. At these firms, he successfully created, built and deployed finance programmes with leading IT manufacturers and major software companies.
In his new role at Shire Leasing, Ardern will report directly to Managing Director Helen Lumb. He will leverage his extensive experience to build and lead a specialist ICT Vendor Finance team focused on developing new accounts and enhancing support for channel partners and Value-Added Resellers (VARs) offering integrated point-of-sale finance solutions.
Shire Leasing already provide a range of dedicated channel finance solutions through existing partners and VARs. These include the Technology Lease, which allows SMEs to finance equipment, software licenses and associated soft costs (such as installation, support contracts and training) under a single agreement. Additionally, the Managed Rental Agreement offers a comprehensive package, including a recurring revenue collection facility. This ensures all costs are covered with a single payment, with subsequent recurring revenues distributed back to partners and VARs.
Martin Ardern expressed enthusiasm for his new role, stating, “ICT solutions and evolution are often vital to the growth and success of SMEs, helping to improve operations and efficiencies in competitive business landscapes. Shire Leasing already has extensive capabilities in developing bespoke finance programs for the channel, working with market-leading blue-chip distributors as well as smaller B2B resellers. I’m excited to bring my specialist expertise and network to support this strategic area of growth at Shire, ultimately enhancing the accessibility of finance solutions for ICT investments and supporting SMEs and larger corporate entities to grow affordably.”
On the appointment, Helen Lumb commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Martin Ardern as our new ICT Sales Director at Shire Leasing. With the rapid evolution of technology and the increasing demand for advanced equipment, businesses face significant challenges in maintaining up-to-date solutions while managing costs. Martin’s proven ability to forge strong relationships and develop bespoke finance programmes with channel partners will certainly help drive growth and affordable investment in this dynamic industry.”