Time Finance has bolstered its vendor finance team with the appointment of Rowan Dearden as the new regional sales manager.

Dearden, with six years of industry experience, previously held the position of area sales manager at Close Brothers, focusing on building relationships with introducers.

In his new position, Dearden will focus on acquiring new business within the hard asset sector, the company said.

He will also oversee the growth of Time Finance’s asset finance services in the South West region of the UK.

Commenting on his appointment, Dearden said: “I am thrilled to join Time Finance as they continue their growth journey as a flexible and dynamic lender. Their dedication to speed in helping SMEs access funding is what set them apart for me and I look forward to adopting their efficient salesman-led structure to further develop their vendor finance offering.”

Time Finance head of vendor sales Matt Graham added: “Rowan is a perfect addition to the vendor team here at Time Finance. With six years of experience in a role with similar responsibilities, his experience is invaluable in broadening our footprint across the UK and providing expert solutions for those SMEs seeking vital asset finance support.”

This move is part of a series of recent strategic hires by the company, which includes the recruitment of Alice Cox and Georgina Harrison as relationship managers in its Reading and Manchester offices, respectively.

Time Finance provides a variety of funding solutions, supporting more than 11,000 UK businesses. Its service portfolio includes asset finance, invoice finance, business loans, asset based lending, and vendor finance.