Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance (STB CF) has promoted Richard Foote (pictured) to chief operating officer (COO).
Foote steps into the role after five years as regional managing director for London and the South East.
He led several high-value transactions during this time and worked with private equity houses and advisers to build the lender’s profile in the private equity market.
Foote said: “My time at Secure Trust Bank has been incredibly rewarding and I’m excited to step into this new role at such a pivotal moment for the business.
“Over the last 10 years, we have become a trusted partner to our clients and both the private equity and advisory communities.
“We are an established ABL lender in the market renowned for supporting our clients and unlocking value to find solutions in complex situations.”
Foote added: “My focuses will include ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional client experience whilst investing and leveraging technology to promote further growth and efficiencies.
“Businesses have faced a challenging few years off the back of the pandemic and ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical pressures, but with improving economic conditions, there is a real opportunity to build on our momentum.”
The lender recently promoted former COO James Hodkinson to managing director and appointed Carl Pykett as senior portfolio director.
Foote will now work closely with Hodkinson on long-term growth plans.
Hodkinson said: “Richard’s promotion reflects our ongoing commitment to investing in our leadership team, ensuring we have the right expertise to support our clients.
“It’s been a great start to the year for STB and Richard’s deep sector expertise will be instrumental in driving forward our next phase of growth throughout 2025 and beyond.
“As we continue to expand, our priority remains building trusted partnerships with businesses and investors, delivering the best possible outcomes on deals.”
Hodkinson added: “I’m excited to see what Richard brings to his new role, integrating AI into our operations and elevating our customer satisfaction even further.”
