This month, BrokerWorld caught up with Neil Kitchen, who covers the North West & Scotland region for Cambridge & Counties Bank asset finance division.
How long have you worked in asset finance?
2019 marked 34 years of experience for me in the industry. My career began in 1985 with Lloyds. Prior to joining Cambridge & Counties Bank I spent 8 years at Santander as Director of Asset Finance, before which I was a Partner in the Asset Finance division at Yorkshire Bank for 12 years. During my time, I’ve covered Merseyside, Manchester as well as the Northern Ireland, South and West Yorkshire regions.
What are the challenges and opportunities that are specific to the North West region?
The challenges are numerous, the main one being the competition as the region attracts all the major Banks and funders to the area. Most challenges are overcome by realising that it’s the first-class service from funders that ultimately seals the deal for clients, this includes communicating timelines and managing the expectations of clients.
The opportunities include the major investments that have taken place in Liverpool and Manchester over the last 10 years with many companies starting up or relocating in to the area. This brings opportunity to support the many sectors within asset finance including road haulage and warehousing. There is also signs of prosperity with the large number of tower cranes operating in both city skylines and the dual airport expansions.
What were your reasons for joining Cambridge & Counties Bank?
The short lines of communications from the CEO downwards is a real plus, allowing an environment where all staff pull together; towards meeting the customers’ requirements is what makes Cambridge & Counties Bank different. Unlike many asset finance houses that I have worked for previously, it’s refreshing to work for a Bank that puts their customers and brokers at the forefront and that’s confirmed from the feedback received.
What is Cambridge & Counties Banks asset finance expertise?
We have a team of highly experienced asset finance underwriters, paired with our unique ability to manually assess deals, we’re able to fully understand proposals allowing us to structure the best deal. We regularly complete deals for traditional hard assets but we’re happy to consider the broader range. We work on a relationship basis with our brokers and intend to be there for the long-term.
Why should a broker consider Cambridge & Counties Bank? Why are you any different?
There are many different funders crowding the marketplace. At Cambridge & Counties Bank our brokers sit of the heart of what we do, and we understand their needs which is why we make things as easy and straightforward as possible. When a broker chooses us, they get a highly experienced team that’ll assess and structure the right deal for their client as well as support throughout the application and beyond. We don’t use online portals or complicated forms, instead we encourage brokers to give us a call so we can discuss the deal with them. Its that simple. For more information, you can contact me directly on 07483 077 229 or [email protected]
