In line with its strategic growth plan, Shire Leasing PLC has announced the opening of a new business unit specialising in the provision of vendor finance for the technology markets. Initially based in Henley-on-Thames, the office is the new platform for a Southern-based specialist vendor team focusing on the provision of point of sale finance options for both the established and emerging technology markets.
“This is an exciting time for Shire Leasing. Not only have we expanded, but we have also appointed a respected and invaluable figure from within the asset finance industry to oversee its success”, said Mark Picken, CEO of Shire Leasing PLC.
The new Southern Office is being developed under the leadership of newly recruited Julie Henehan, who joined Shire Leasing in February 2019 as Corporate Development Director. With a background in vendor focused asset finance, Henehan holds over 20 years of experience in the business finance industry in which she has previously held senior leadership roles at Newcourt, GE Capital, CIT and PEAC in both the UK and the Nordic region.
Picken added, “Julie has joined Shire at a pivotal time in the company’s evolution and brings with her a wealth of experience and a strong network. The Southern presence has already attracted commendable talent, Julie included, but it will also prove beneficial as we continue to grow and support our base of technology vendors across the UK.”
“Shire Leasing is a progressive organisation built on a foundation of leading market experience and I’m delighted to be joining the team. We have the agility to respond quickly to changing market needs and the expertise to execute effectively. It’s an exciting time in the market with emerging technologies that have the capability to revolutionise the workplace and to impact positively on the environment. Our finance solutions will support businesses to invest in these cutting-edge technologies” Henehan said.
Henehan is in the process of building out her team and already has Vendor Sales Managers in place with backgrounds within the Renewable Energy industry and I.T. These growing industries are of keen interest to the Southern team and Henehan is confident that Shire Leasing has key differentiators to support the channel.
“Simplicity. Productivity. Profitability” Henehan said. “These are key deliverables for vendor partners working with us.
Our FinTech offering is second-to-none, which allows vendors to seamlessly introduce finance offerings into their sales processes. In addition, the flexibility of being an independent funder with full control over credit policies, coupled with a panel of strategic funding partners to place deals with third parties if required, allows for optimum first pass approval when proposing deals”.
The FinTech solutions have led to Shire Leasing being awarded as ‘Innovator of the Year’ at the 2018 Leasing World Awards. More recently, Shire Leasing was awarded as “Outstanding Operations Team” at the 2019 Leasing World Service Excellence Awards. The addition of the Southern Office supports Shire in achieving its company vision: ‘To provide a market-leading service through innovation and expertise, delivering flexible funding solutions for British businesses.’
