Portman Finance Group strengthens leadership team

Broker-lender Portman Finance Group has announced the appointment of three senior executives to its leadership team as it looks to accelerate growth and expand funding for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The company has appointed Mark Craigen as Chief Financial Officer, Ryan Magee as Chief Legal Officer and Simon Williams as Chief Compliance Officer. The trio will join the executive leadership team at a time of rapid expansion for the Northampton-based finance provider.

A Chartered Accountant who began his career at Deloitte, Craigen brings experience spanning asset finance, manufacturing, technology and financial services. His previous roles have included leading transformation programmes, system implementations and mergers and acquisitions, as well as strengthening financial controls within regulated environments.

In the role, he will lead the company’s legal strategy and governance framework. Before moving in-house, Magee spent nearly a decade at a Magic Circle law firm specialising in corporate and real estate finance. He later built extensive experience in the challenger bank and specialist lending sectors, where he played a key role in loan book growth and scaling legal functions.

After managing several operational departments earlier in his career, Williams moved into risk and compliance in 2014. He has since built and led financial crime and compliance functions at a major UK broker-lender and served as a Financial Conduct Authority-approved Senior Manager.

Alex Read, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Portman Finance Group, said the appointments mark an important milestone for the business.

“This is a hugely exciting moment for Portman Finance Group,” Read said. “We’ve grown quickly, but we’ve done it with purpose, integrity and professionalism, to ensure UK SMEs get the funding support and level of service they genuinely deserve. Mark, Simon and Ryan each bring a stellar track record of driving growth and strengthening governance, having built their careers within some of the UK’s leading professional and financial institutions.”

Founded in 2007 as a small business finance broker, Portman Finance Group has grown into one of the UK’s leading independent providers of business loans and asset finance. The company now originates around £500 million in funding for UK SMEs each year.

Over the past four years, Portman has seen rapid growth, with monthly revenues increasing from £400,000 to £4 million. The company recorded its strongest month to date in February 2026 and has expanded its workforce from 32 employees to 172.

This growth has been driven in part by investment in talent, technology and customer experience. The company has also been included in the FT1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies list.

Portman has also expanded its graduate programme, now in its fourth year, which has welcomed 50 graduates into a two-year rotational scheme. Graduates now account for roughly a quarter of the company’s workforce.

“These appointments build on the strong foundations we’ve already put in place across our leadership team,” Read added. “UK SMEs are the lifeblood of the economy, yet too many have been underserved by inflexible high street lenders, slow processes and providers they can’t trust. Access to the right finance is a powerful growth engine.”

“By strengthening our leadership team while continuing to invest in emerging talent, we’re building expertise at every level of the business – ensuring we can deliver the care and support UK businesses need.”

Craigen, Magee and Williams will be based at Portman Finance Group’s headquarters in Northampton.