Expansion of UKEF's Export Support Division
The UK's export finance body, UK Export Finance (UKEF), has expanded its team of regional advisors to bolster support for UK businesses aiming to grow their international trade. This move comes as part of UKEF's commitment to providing tailored financial solutions and expert guidance to exporters, helping them navigate complex global markets and secure export opportunities.
The new team includes six export finance advisors and three specialised advisors for medium-sized businesses (MSBs), strategically positioned across key economic areas of the UK and beyond.
James Bowker has been appointed as an export finance advisor, covering East Sussex, Kent, and West Sussex. Johanna McSweeney will serve in Northamptonshire, while Archana Singh will advise businesses in West London. Paul Wright will cover East Greater Manchester, north and west Yorkshire, and Paul Callin will advise the Midlands, the West, and Wales for UKEF's MSB advisors.
In addition, Jon Boyce will be the regional advisor for the North, Carol Harvey will serve as an export finance advisor based in Scotland, and Anne Lockett will take on the role for the Black Country, Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire.
UKEF's expanded team plays a pivotal role in facilitating export finance deals, offering advisory and support, market insight and engagement, and promoting sustainable finance. The advisors provide expert advice on export finance products and solutions, helping UK businesses manage risks and secure funding to compete internationally. They work directly with exporters, banks, and borrowers to structure and facilitate export finance transactions.
Moreover, advisors provide market intelligence and build relationships with local businesses, governments, and financial institutions to open up trade opportunities. They help align export finance with sustainability targets and support projects contributing to net zero and green infrastructure goals.
The purpose of expanding this team is threefold: to boost UK exports, navigate the increasingly complex global trade landscape, support government trade strategies, and enable sustainable and resilient infrastructure development backed by export finance. The aim is to help businesses of all sizes confidently expand internationally amid evolving trade dynamics and challenges.
According to Paul Croucher, the head of trade finance and insurance solutions at UKEF, having local, specialist understanding can help encourage exports. This expanded regional advisory network is part of broader efforts to increase UK exports—currently only 10% of UK businesses export—and to help businesses confidently expand internationally amid evolving trade dynamics and challenges.
With the addition of these new advisors, UKEF's team of specialist export finance advisors now stands at 23, further strengthening the UK's ability to compete internationally through improved access to export finance.
- The newly appointed export finance advisors, along with the specialized MSB advisors, will utilize their knowledge to offer tailored financial solutions and expert guidance, thereby aiding UK businesses in growing their trade finance for international business expansion.
- The expanded team of UKEF advisors, now numbering 23, will facilitate export finance deals, provide market insights, build relationships, and align with sustainability targets, ultimately bolstering the UK's competitiveness in global business and trade finance.
