United Trust Bank has appointed Steve Gee as commercial director – asset finance, with responsibility for establishing a new vendor finance business.
Gee (pictured) joins the bank after 26 years at Close Brothers, including 10 years as chief executive of Close Brothers Asset Finance’s industrial equipment division.
At UTB, he will lead the development of a vendor finance operation working with equipment dealers and manufacturers to provide funding to SME customers.
The new business will be based in the North-West but operate nationwide, initially focusing on manufacturing, construction, transport, materials handling and print.
ASSET FINANCE EXPANSION
The move forms part of UTB’s wider expansion of its asset finance activities, following growth during 2026 and the soft launch of Stance Asset Finance.
Stance is intended to provide brokers and SMEs with a funding route for transactions that sit outside UTB’s established asset finance criteria. A wider national roll-out is planned for later this year.
UTB said the addition of vendor finance would enable it to broaden the range of SMEs it can support when they are purchasing equipment and technology.
Nathan Mollett, managing director – asset finance at United Trust Bank, says: “Steve is one of the most experienced and respected people in UK asset finance, and we’re delighted that he has chosen to join UTB at such an exciting stage in our development.
“We’ve built tremendous momentum across asset finance this year, both through our established UTB business and the successful soft launch of Stance.
“Steve’s appointment adds another important dimension to our growth plans by enabling us to build a dedicated vendor finance capability around equipment dealers and manufacturers.
“His experience, relationships and deep understanding of the industrial equipment market will be invaluable as we create yet another business line within UTB Asset Finance.”
Gee adds: “I’ve spent most of my career working with businesses who invest in equipment to improve productivity, increase capacity and create growth, so the opportunity to build a new vendor finance business at UTB was too good to miss.
“UTB already has an excellent reputation in Asset Finance and there’s a real sense of ambition and momentum across the business. Ultimately, this is about helping more SMEs get access to the assets they need to invest, grow and thrive.
“I’m really looking forward to building the business from the ground up and contributing to the next exciting phase of UTB’s development in the asset finance industry.”
