Folk2Folk hires “heavy hitter” Gary Leitch as COO
Folk2Folk has appointed Gary Leitch (pictured) as chief operating officer, describing him as a “well-respected heavy hitter” within the lending world.
Leitch has more than 34 years experience working in the retail, business lending and corporate markets, as well as extensive asset finance experience.
Before joining Folk2Folk, he was managing director of asset finance at Paragon Banking Group, and prior to that he held a number of senior positions at asset-backed lending specialist Lombard.
As chief operating officer at Folk2Folk, Leitch will support the company’s growth ambitions, while also overseeing overall operational capability encompassing technology, finance, legal and people related matters.
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“We’ve been strategizing and preparing the business for growth which includes bolstering internal expertise in terms of processes, credit, and risk assessment,” said Roy Warren, managing director of Folk2Folk.
“I believe in bringing the right players onto the pitch at the right time, and Gary is the right person for Folk2Folk to bring into play now.
“Gary is a well-respected heavy hitter within the sector. He has earned a reputation for getting things done and is a natural fit for our business. We both worked at Lombard and so I know from first-hand experience that he is a major asset to any organisation.
“Gary will play an important role in helping to galvanise our processes, our people and our plans in this next phase.
“I also see him as a strong asset in terms of institutional partnerships.”
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Leitch added: “I am excited by the opportunity to support Folk2Folk’s mission to put humanity back into finance and to create prosperity for Britain’s regions, both being ambitions that resonate with me.
“Finance should be a people business, and it sits well with the government’s levelling up agenda, so I’m thrilled to be working for a company that delivers on that.
“I’m impressed by what I’ve seen and eager to help Folk2Folk gear up for the next stage of its national growth journey.”
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