Folk2Folk appoints Carlos Howard as head of business development

Peer-to-peer lending platform Folk2Folk has appointed Carlos Howard as head of business development.

Howard has more than 20 years of leadership experience in financial services, legal and manufacturing sectors, with a focus on sales, customer care, operations and strategic roles.

Howard’s career includes his recent role as head of client care at Nalders Solicitors. Prior to this, he was operations director at a modular build manufacturer, driving growth that earned the company a spot in the top 10 of The Sunday Times FT100 Fastest Growing Private Companies.

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Howard has also held senior roles at GE Money. While there, he was responsible for overseeing customer service and collections, servicing over 150,000 customers with a focus on operational leadership and performance management.

“We are confident that Carlos’s experience will be pivotal in driving broker-originated deals and enabling small businesses across the UK to access the funding they need to grow, develop or diversify,” said Roy Warren, managing director of Folk2Folk. “His appointment reflects our commitment to expanding and deepening our relationships with brokers.”

Since its launch in 2013, Folk2Folk has connected hundreds of local businesses with investors, providing loans from £100,000 to help small- and medium-sized enterprises start, grow and diversify in every region of the UK. Investors meanwhile enjoy the security of property-backed investment opportunities delivering attractive returns – currently from 8.75 per cent per annum.

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In his new role, Howard will lead all sales activities, with a particular focus on brokers and broker-originated deals.

“Folk2Folk’s impressive track record is a testament to its robust model and commitment to supporting regional businesses,” said Howard. “I look forward to fostering strong relationships with our broker partners and ensuring small businesses thrive through our tailored financial solutions. Together, we will continue to make a meaningful impact on local economies, helping more businesses grow and succeed.”

In July Folk2Folk reported it had passed the £700m lending milestone.

Read more: Folk2Folk passes £700m lending milestone