Day Two – 17.11.2021
Your options for accessing finance
14:15 – 14:55
Banks and investors have a role to play in the unlocking the potential that employee ownership can bring in terms of benefits to businesses, staff and customers. both in financing the transition and investing in future growth.
However, many employee ownership businesses have struggled to raise finance because of financial institutions’ lack of awareness or understanding about the sector and its characteristics.
In this panel discussion and Q&A you will learn:
- Awareness of the options available.
- What do lenders and investors want to know.
Julia Godino, Head of Credit Underwriting, Unity Trust Bank plc
Peter Matthews, Partner, Advisory, Capital for Colleagues
Greg Beamish, Head of Credit, ThinCats
More on our speakers
Julia Godino, Head of Credit Underwriting, Unity Trust Bank plc
Julia’s career has spanned over three decades in the financial services industry, operating in a number of core disciplines, including Global Corporate Relationship Management, Credit Risk, Restructuring and Recovery, Commercial Transactions and Financial Crime Risk. Julia was recently appointed as Head of Credit Underwriting at Unity Trust Bank, leading a team of experienced credit Underwriters to support customers in their continued growth and development. Beyond the workplace Julia lives in a Bedfordshire village with husband and two daughters plus the family terrier Barney, she is often found enjoying the surrounding countryside or perched on a yoga mat.
Greg Beamish, Head of Credit, ThinCats
Greg leads the ThinCats’ underwriting team that assesses funding proposals, the majority of which are introduced by intermediaries such as corporate finance advisers, accountancy firms, private equity investors and debt advisers.
The credit team is organised on a regional basis working hand-in-hand with ThinCats’ regional business development teams. This model enables ThinCats to quickly understand the prospective borrower’s business, the purpose of the loan and to meet the senior management team. The early involvement of the credit team helps shape the structure of the funding to meet the specific needs of the borrower.
ThinCats focuses on serving mid-sized businesses because they have funding needs that can be too complex for online only lenders or are too small, with insufficient assets, to fit the traditional lending models operated by the banks. There are around 400,000 mid-sized SMEs accounting for more than 25% of UK GDP, however, as they often struggle to access the finance they need, ThinCats exists to fill this gap.
By combining the latest in data analytics with traditional lending skills ThinCats provides funding from £1m up to £15m for businesses looking to grow organically and/or through acquisition.
Although ThinCats offers asset backed loans, cashflow lending accounts for approximately 75% of new funding and is particularly suited to high growth businesses.
ThinCats is a supporter member of the EOA having helped fund numerous businesses across the UK transition to EOT status through the creation of bespoke funding solutions.
Peter Matthews, Partner, Advisory, Capital for Colleagues
Peter has over thirty years’ experience of working with consulting and advisory businesses, investment management businesses and professional service companies.
He has worked with Employee Owned Businesses (EOBs) in the UK, Ireland and the United States for over twenty years. He has advised many SME companies on all aspects of the transition to becoming employee owned, and typically works with the board to support their growth thereafter.
Peter also acts as an independent Trustee for a number of Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs).