GC Business Finance has appointed Aaron Malins as director of business finance as it looks to develop its lending offer and support future growth.
Malins (pictured) joins the responsible lender with more than two decades of experience across finance, lending and advisory.
He was previously chief financial officer of a Manchester-based regulated consumer finance firm and managing director of its lending division.
In those roles, he worked with the chief executive, private equity and hedge fund investors, and helped scale the business into a technology-enabled financial services platform.
Malins has also supported businesses in raising debt, seed and growth equity funding, with a focus on ethical lending and improving access to finance for founders from diverse backgrounds.
In his new role, he will support the strategic direction of GC Business Finance, using his experience in structured finance and operations to strengthen its offer and support more SMEs across the UK.
He will also look at how technology and data can improve the organisation’s impact and customer experience.
GC Business Finance was established in 2002 as part of The Growth Company and supports SMEs that struggle to access funding from mainstream lenders.
It manages a number of SME-focused funds, including acting as national business support partner for the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, as well as smaller loans for the Bank’s Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
Across early-stage investment, GC Angels provides venture capital to businesses in the north of England and runs the Venture Forward programme, backed by Innovate UK.
Malins says: “GCBF has a strong reputation in the market as a purpose-led lender, supporting businesses that might otherwise struggle to access funding. This ethos has always been very important to me as I’ve grown in my career, so I quickly jumped at the opportunity to lead an organisation that is committed to making a real difference and supporting underrepresented founders.
“At a time when many SMEs continue to face barriers to funding, I’ll be focused on driving the next stage of growth for GCBF, ensuring we’re continuing to evolve our offering to meet the changing needs of entrepreneurs. It’s an opportunity to build deeper relationships with our key stakeholders to widen access to finance and make the funding journey for founders as simple as possible.”
Donna Edwards, managing director of business support and business finance at The Growth Company, adds: “Aaron’s appointment comes at an important time for GC Business Finance as we continue to evolve our offering and expand our reach. His background across lending, business growth and technology adoption will help us reach even more businesses that need flexible, accessible finance.
“With a strong commitment to ethical lending, his approach aligns perfectly with our own and he will play an important role in broadening our reach, strengthening relationships with key stakeholders and enhancing the customer experience over the next few years.”
