Arkle Finance has appointed Paul Bartley, the co-founder of Close Leasing, as its new non-executive chairman.

As a board member at ING, Bartley helped grow the Dutch-based lender into one of the UK’s leading asset finance providers, and his leadership at Close Leasing saw it expand from a new start in 2006, to a portfolio  exceeding £500m.

He joins Arkle as the Northamptonshire-based lender consolidates a period of growth and embarks on its next phase of development. Founded two decades ago, Arkle works with more than 150 finance brokers across the UK and provides asset finance to both SMEs and consumers.

Arkle increased new lending to all sectors by 14% in 2018, more than double the 6% growth it achieved in 2017.

Bartley succeeds Roger Weatherby in the role, who is stepping down as Arkle’s chairman, having successfully transformed the business into a  £100m asset finance company.

Daniel Bailey, managing director of Arkle Finance, said: “Paul is joining Arkle at an exciting and decisive time, as we build on the achievements under the guidance of Roger Weatherby’s and move up to the next stage in our growth trajectory.

“Paul’s expertise and skills and successes in specialist markets complement Arkle’s strengths and ambitions well, and together we’re looking forward to helping a wider range of clients secure the right finance for both hard and soft assets of all sizes.”

Bartley added: “Arkle has assembled a highly skilled and dedicated team with strong traditional values and who have established an excellent reputation in the support of finance brokers, SMEs and consumers.

“That strength and depth is a testament to the astute stewardship of my predecessor Roger Weatherby, and I am looking forward to assisting the team in the implementation of their growth strategy.”