Paragon Bank has appointed Richard van Dort as head of business development vendor within its SME lending division, as the lender looks to accelerate growth across its vendor and direct channels.

The senior hire underlines Paragon’s intention to deepen its presence in the UK SME market, building on a decade of expansion within its SME lending business.

Van Dort (pictured, left) brings more than 30 years’ experience in asset finance and banking, having held senior leadership roles across global vendor programmes and direct funding partnerships.

He joins Paragon from DLL, where he most recently led the development of funding products and strategies for global vendor and direct enterprise partners.

BACKGROUND

Earlier in his career at DLL, he was responsible for establishing and scaling the UK’s non-vendor direct funding proposition for key enterprise accounts. Prior to that, he held senior roles at GE Capital, overseeing high-value vendor programmes and direct partnerships across sectors including industrials, transport and logistics, construction and materials handling.

The appointment supports Paragon’s strategic focus on growing its vendor and direct propositions, supported by investment in infrastructure, technology and an expanded credit appetite developed over the past year.

The lender believes this partnership-led approach will help drive further growth across core sectors such as intralogistics, materials handling, access equipment, waste, ports and terminals and aerial work platforms.

Van Dort will work alongside Terry Lloyd (pictured, right), head of vendor, with the pair bringing together business development and operational expertise.

While van Dort will concentrate on strategic growth and new relationships, Lloyd will continue to oversee delivery and execution through his existing team.

The hire comes as Paragon marks 10 years of SME lending, during which time it has grown its loan book fourfold and now works with more than 16,000 UK SMEs.

Stewart Good (pictured, centre), sales director of SME lending at Paragon, said: “This appointment is a clear statement of intent from Paragon SME Lending.

“Richard’s experience and expertise will bring huge value to our business, and his appointment represents a significant investment in our long-term ambitions to become the funder of choice for UK SMEs and vendors.

“We are ready to expand our direct capabilities, support SMEs on their growth journeys and maintain the highest standards of service as we continue to grow.”

Van Dort said: “I’ve watched Paragon’s growth and admired the team’s ambition for some time. The attraction of working with a UK-based funder with agility, talented people and a clear strategy and defined markets was a real draw for me.

“In this role I plan to grow a foothold across a range of sectors – including waste, transport, healthcare, trailers, aviation and intralogistics – and to build sustainable, long-term partnerships based on trust and responsiveness.

“Now more than ever, customers want lenders that do what they say, offering flexibility and tailoring products suitable to their needs. Paragon truly delivers on that promise.”