The board of COLG is pleased to announce that Recognise, its wholly owned subsidiary has received authorisation with restriction (AwR) (banking licence) from the PRA / FCA.
Recognise today announces the appointment of Jackie Skelt as Regional Director for London and the Midlands. Shami Sharma and Dave Bronsdon will be Business Development Managers for London. The team will be based at Recognise’s hub in London.
Jackie joins Recognise with over 20 years’ experience, having worked in senior roles for various financial institutions, including NatWest, Santander and most recently spending four years leading a highly successful commercial relationship team for Metro Bank in Central London. Jackie excels in understanding the needs of SME businesses and tailoring appropriate lending solutions. She will lead the London and Midlands teams, to provide the SME market with a range of lending products to meet their lending requirements.
Shami’s past roles focussed on commercial and senior relationship management at NatWest, Metro Bank, and Assetz Capital. Shami will be responsible for the London and South East area, where he has many years of experience dealing with SMEs in the real estate sector and trading businesses that require working capital.
Dave has over thirty-five years’ experience as a relationship manager working with the SME and Commercial Banking sectors, gained at RBS, NatWest, and Metro Bank. Dave is renowned for his efficiency at finding solutions for clients’ day-to-day requirements whilst building ongoing relationships and providing outstanding customer service.
On the team and her appointment, Jackie commented, “I am excited to take a hands-on role at Recognise at a time when SMEs really need the extra support. Our London team is made up of highly experienced people, with a passion for helping businesses grow. And the city is full of businesses with great potential, crying out for specialist lending solutions.”
Jason Oakley, CEO of Recognise said “We are thrilled to add even more talent to our experienced team that will contribute to the growth of Recognise and our expansion within the regions. Jackie, Shami and Dave are perfect additions to our London team, with lots of experience in SME banking.”
Recognise’s founding ethos – and the reason for the bank’s name – is to focus on the SME community that has been so overlooked and neglected by mainstream banking. The bank will offer a relationship-led proposition which will be delivered through dedicated Relationship Managers (RMs) based in London, Midlands, Manchester, and Leeds. The Relationship Managers will meet each client and provide a responsive and personalised service. Each RM will have deep knowledge of industry sectors and a genuine appreciation for SME challenges.
The article appeared in Fintech Finance on 23rd November 2020