FOLK2FOLK has appointed Joanna Chan as head of strategic capital in a newly created role focused on institutional funding and commercial partnerships.
The peer-to-peer business lending platform said the move forms part of a wider push to diversify its funding base as it looks to build relationships with a broader range of capital providers.
Chan (pictured) takes up the post after serving as head of portfolio, where she was responsible for the management of FOLK2FOLK’s SME loan book and led its post-completion and recoveries teams. She has been with the business for six years and has also sat on the senior management team, credit committee, and risk and audit committee.
The lender said her promotion reflects a greater emphasis on institutional capital under chief executive Kawai Chung, who joined the business in 2025.
In the new role, Chan will lead work on institutional capital engagement and commercial partnerships to support the growth of secured lending to regional SMEs. FOLK2FOLK said this builds on its established retail investor base while increasing its focus on institutional funding relationships.
Before joining FOLK2FOLK in 2019, Chan worked at BNP Paribas in London and Hong Kong, specialising in credit strategy and trading across sovereign, corporate and high-yield markets. The business said her background included working closely with institutional investors and global trading teams.
Chan holds an MSc in statistics from the University of Warwick and a BSc (Hons) in mathematics and statistics from the University of Bath.
Chung says: “Broadening our funding base through institutional partnerships is a core part of our evolution. Joanna will ensure we have the right structures, reporting and relationships to deploy capital into the real economy.
“Her experience in credit markets and institutional relationships makes her ideally placed to lead our strategic capital initiatives as we continue to grow the business and expand our engagement with the wider investment community.”
Chan adds: “FOLK2FOLK has delivered over a decade of disciplined, property-secured lending and proven investor outcomes. My focus is to develop partnerships with institutional funders and likeminded originators to help scale that success, while preserving the clarity and human approach that underpins how we work.”
