What is alternative finance?
Alternative finance providers act as intermediaries between borrowers and lenders, and are complementary to traditional High Street banks. GLI Finance’s alternative finance platforms are non-bank lenders; covering peer to peer, marketplace, and balance sheet lenders.
Why does it matter?
Around the world, Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) struggle to get access to finance. Traditional banks have retrenched from lending to SMEs, and alternative finance providers have entered the market and are delivering the finance that SMEs need.
The sector is growing
The alternative finance sector has grown rapidly to date, and is continuing to scale – as evidenced by the performance of GLI Finance’s own portfolio. In May 2015, Morgan Stanley estimated that the industry would grow to between $150bn and $490bn globally, by 2020.
Executive Team
Andrew WhelanChief Executive Officer
Andrew Whelan is the CEO of GLI Finance, which is a UK listed (quoted on AIM) business that provides alternative finance to Small and Medium sized Enterprises. GLI has exposure to alternative finance platforms; covering peer to peer, marketplace, and balance sheet lenders. Andrew has over 25 years financial experience and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Prior to founding Sancus, one of GLI’s core niche lending businesses, in 2013, Andrew was a founding partner of Ermitage Group following its MBO in 2006 from Liberty Life. He was also CIO of Ermitage’s Wealth Management business and during his 10 year tenure won multiple investment awards. Andrew started his career in the UK “blue chip” merchant banking sector and spent 7 years in both Morgan Grenfell and Kleinwort Benson, which respectively became part of Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank. At Dresdner Bank he was a member of their senior investment committee.
Emma StubbsChief Financial Officer
Emma is a Fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and qualified with Deloitte in 2004. Prior to joining GLI in 2013 she was Head of Business Analysis and Projects at Sportingbet, an online gaming company from January 2007 to October 2013 where she was responsible for formulating strategy across Europe and Emerging Markets. From November 2004 to January 2007 Emma worked as an Account Manager at Marsh Management Services (Guernsey) Limited, a Captive Insurance Company. Emma joined the GLI Finance board in September 2014.
Aaron Le CornuChief Operating Officer
Aaron has over 25 years in financial services. Prior to Joining Sancus, Aaron was Chief Financial Officer at Elian Fiduciary Services and was instrumental in the management buy out of Elian from Ogier in 2014, with the support of Electra Private Equity. Having grown significantly both organically and through acquisitions, Elian operated in 22 countries at the time of its sale to Intertrust Group in late 2016. Prior to this, Aaron was Chief Operating Officer at Ogier, a leading offshore legal and fiduciary firm. Aaron started his career, training as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen in London. After 9 years in their specialist financial services division, both in London and Sydney, he left to join HSBC. Aaron spent several years setting up retail banking operations for HSBC in Central Europe and was extensively involved in the acquisition of M&S Money in 2004. He moved to Jersey in 2006 as Deputy CEO of HSBC International, where he had responsibility for the banking and wealth management businesses, including the teams in UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Malta.
Dan WalkerUK Managing Director
Dan became UK Managing Director in January 2018 which includes Sancus Finance, Sancus Funding and BMS. Dan has worked in the finance industry since 1999. He started his career as a solicitor at Linklaters LLP after reading law at Merton College, Oxford University. After six years working on the legal aspects of structured transactions in real estate, trade and acquisition finance, Dan joined the Strategic Transactions Group at Lloyds Banking Group, originating and executing structured funding and investment transactions for the bank and its clients. He joined Varengold Bank AG, a small German private bank, in 2015 to head its London office and help develop its prime brokerage business and build a credit book focused on receivables and real estate finance. Dan has completed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst examinations.
Board of Directors
Andrew WhelanChief Executive Officer
Andrew Whelan is the CEO of GLI Finance, which is a UK listed (quoted on AIM) business that provides alternative finance to Small and Medium sized Enterprises. GLI has exposure to alternative finance platforms; covering peer to peer, marketplace, and balance sheet lenders. Andrew has over 25 years financial experience and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Prior to founding Sancus, one of GLI’s core niche lending businesses, in 2013, Andrew was a founding partner of Ermitage Group following its MBO in 2006 from Liberty Life. He was also CIO of Ermitage’s Wealth Management business and during his 10 year tenure won multiple investment awards. Andrew started his career in the UK “blue chip” merchant banking sector and spent 7 years in both Morgan Grenfell and Kleinwort Benson, which respectively became part of Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank. At Dresdner Bank he was a member of their senior investment committee.
Emma StubbsChief Financial Officer
Emma is a Fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and qualified with Deloitte in 2004. Prior to joining GLI in 2013 she was Head of Business Analysis and Projects at Sportingbet, an online gaming company from January 2007 to October 2013 where she was responsible for formulating strategy across Europe and Emerging Markets. From November 2004 to January 2007 Emma worked as an Account Manager at Marsh Management Services (Guernsey) Limited, a Captive Insurance Company. Emma joined the GLI Finance board in September 2014.
John WhittleIndependent Non-Executive Director
Mr Whittle has a background in large third party Fund Administration. He has worked extensively in high tech service industries and has in-depth experience of strategic development and mergers/acquisitions. He has experience of listed company boards as well as the private equity, property and fund of funds sectors. He is currently a director of International Public Partnerships Ltd (a member of the FTSE250), Starwood European Real Estate Finance Limited (listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange), Toro Limited (admitted to trading on the Specialist Fund Market of the London Stock Exchange) and three companies admitted to trading on AIM, India Capital Growth Fund Ltd, Advance Frontier Markets Fund Ltd and Globalworth Real Estate Investment ("Globalworth"). Mr Whittle, a Chartered Accountant, has also served as Finance Director of Close Fund Services Limited (responsible for internal finance and client financial reporting), Managing Director of Hugh Symons Group PLC and Finance Director and Deputy MD of Talkland International Limited (now Vodafone Retail). Mr Whittle is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and the Audit & Risk Committee.
Patrick FirthIndependent Non-Executive Chairman
Mr. Firth is a director of a number of offshore funds and management companies and until June 2009 was managing director of Butterfield Fulcrum (formerly Butterfield Fund Services (Guernsey) Limited). Prior to joining Butterfield Fund Services (Guernsey) Limited, Mr. Firth was head of operations and subsequently managing director of BISYS Fund Services (Guernsey) Limited, where he was responsible for the administration of both offshore and onshore (FSA regulated) funds. Mr. Firth qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in 1990 having worked in the audit departments in Cambridge and Guernsey. Mr. Firth graduated from the University of Newcastle and received a Masters degree from Bath University. Mr. Firth is Chairman of the Board and the Nomination Committee.
Nick WakefieldNon-Executive Director
Nick Wakefield is an Investment Director for Somerston Group and Managing Director of Somerston Asset Management Limited. Nick has 20 years investment experience in both private and public investments. He is a CFA and CMT charterholder.
Memberships
