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 has over 25 years investment experience and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Prior to founding Sancus in 2013, Andrew was a founding partner of Ermitage Group following its MBO in 2006 from Liberty Life, backed by Caledonia Investments. He left Ermitage following its successful sale to Nexar Capital Group in July 2011 and after a period of gardening leave joined International Asset Monitor as Managing Director to create a new Jersey Branch. Andrew joined Liberty Ermitage in 2001 and was a Group Executive Director and Managing Director of Ermitage Global Wealth Management Jersey Limited. He was also CIO of Ermitage’s Wealth Management business and products and during his 10 year tenure won multiple investment awards. Prior to Liberty Ermitage Andrew worked for Kleinwort Benson, part of the Dresdner Private Banking Group (between 1994 – 2001) where he was a member of the Group’s senior investment committee. He started his career with Morgan Grenfell in 1987. Andrew has been recognised in the Citywealth Leaders List since 2007 and in 2019 was recognised in Jersey’s Top 20 Professionals. He is also included in “The P2P Power 50 – The most influential people in the UK’s peer-to-peer lending sector” (Peer2Peer Finance News, 2018 and 2019).
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.
Dan WalkerChief Operating Office
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. Dan became Managing Director of Sancus Finance in January 2018.
Board of Directors
Andrew WhelanChief Executive Officer
Andrew has over 25 years investment experience and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Prior to founding Sancus in 2013, Andrew was a founding partner of Ermitage Group following its MBO in 2006 from Liberty Life, backed by Caledonia Investments. He left Ermitage following its successful sale to Nexar Capital Group in July 2011 and after a period of gardening leave joined International Asset Monitor as Managing Director to create a new Jersey Branch. Andrew joined Liberty Ermitage in 2001 and was a Group Executive Director and Managing Director of Ermitage Global Wealth Management Jersey Limited. He was also CIO of Ermitage’s Wealth Management business and products and during his 10 year tenure won multiple investment awards. Prior to Liberty Ermitage Andrew worked for Kleinwort Benson, part of the Dresdner Private Banking Group (between 1994 – 2001) where he was a member of the Group’s senior investment committee. He started his career with Morgan Grenfell in 1987. Andrew has been recognised in the Citywealth Leaders List since 2007 and in 2019 was recognised in Jersey’s Top 20 Professionals. He is also included in “The P2P Power 50 – The most influential people in the UK’s peer-to-peer lending sector” (Peer2Peer Finance News, 2018 and 2019).
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
