Newport-based Henry Howard continues drive for expansion

Mr Pepler’s appointment reflects the finance house and brokerage’s continued drive for expansion.

Mr Pepler has established a stellar reputation within the commercial finance and banking sectors, where he has held various senior roles over the last 35 years, building on his expertise in invoice finance, asset finance and trade finance.

He joins Henry Howard Finance Plc, which has its base at Langstone, from US-owned specialist spot factoring business Interface Financial Group, where he held the role of UK chief executive.

Henry Howard Finance provides equipment suppliers and SMEs with various asset finance and refinance options to purchase business equipment. Mr Pepler’s focus there will be on introducing additional commercial finance facilities such as invoice finance and trade finance as well as working on the company’s commercial mortgages and asset finance offerings.

Mr Pepler had previously been chief executive of Bristol-based Ultimate Finance Group Plc since 2007. He co-founded the organisation in 2002 and successfully floated it on AIM as a start-up. In his CEO role there, he successfully transformed the organisation through restructuring and creating a new business strategy, resulting in re-energised, empowered and enthused team members.

In 2010 he acquired Ashley Commercial Finance Limited, a transformational reverse takeover of another major player in the sector and also founded Ultimate Asset Finance Limited and Ultimate Trade Finance Limited.

Henry Howard recorded its most successful month in its 17-year-history at the end of this summer, lending in excess of £6 million worth of funding with lucrative agreements across the supplier and SME sectors.

Mr Pepler’s previous roles include corporate manager at Aldermore Bank Plc (previously Cattles Invoice Finance), where he helped facilitate the growth of the organisation from two to five companies. Prior to this, he also spent two of his five years at Bibby Group of Factors as head of marketing and founded Bibby Factors (Bristol) Limited, one of the group’s first companies, which contributed to its growth from one of the UK’s smallest to largest independent factoring companies.

Mr Pepler said: “Throughout my career, I have always enjoyed a new challenge and these are exciting times to be joining Henry Howard Finance. This is a dynamic, forward-thinking company, which has fast become a market leader. I look forward to becoming part of such a vibrant team and demonstrating to a range of SMEs how Henry Howard offers several viable options to conventional lending.”

It is believed that Mr Pepler continues to hold the industry record for the highest number of new invoice finance clients transacted within a year, recording 77 agreements.

Mark Crook, joint managing director of Henry Howard, which has built up a portfolio in excess of £100million that includes over 10,000 different UK-based businesses; said: “As Henry Howard goes from strength to strength within a dynamic market, we are expanding and further developing our offering to ensure we are a ‘one-stop shop’ encompassing all finance requirements any SME could need.

“This is pivotal to our continued success and Richard’s is a key appointment, which emphasises our commitment to and planned expansion of our DIRECT activities.”