Funding Circle has hired Neil Mullane, formerly head of business and corporate banking for Barclays across West London.

He has eight years of experience in commercial finance, and will play an active role in continuing to build the intermediary channel.

Prior to joining Funding Circle, Mullane was head of business and corporate banking for Barclays in West London, supporting small businesses with a £250,000 to £25m+ turnover. He also held the position of national performance director for Barclays Business where intermediary finance played a large part of the overall lending performance of the business.

It comes as Funding Circle introducers, including commercial finance brokers, accountants and business advisers, help their clients to access a record £42 million in Q1 through Funding Circle.

Luke Jooste, head of business development and property finance at Funding Circle, said : “Funding Circle’s simple process, fast turnaround times and personalised service set us apart from other lenders which is something introducers really value. It looks set to be an exciting 2016 and I’m very pleased to welcome Neil to the team.”

Mullane said: “It’s an exciting time to be joining the business. The growth of Funding Circle over the last five and a half years has been very impressive and it’s clear that the intermediary market now views marketplace lending as a mainstream way for their clients to access finance.”