Close Invoice Finance announces two senior appointments at its Northern Commercial Centre

January 2008

Close Invoice Finance, part of the FTSE 250 merchant banking group Close Brothers Group plc, has made two senior appointments at its rapidly expanding Northern Commercial Centre based in Stockport.

John Crawshaw has been promoted to Regional Commercial Director after 11 years working for Close. Most recently he held the position of Client Services Director for the Stockport Centre which currently serves a client base of 200 local businesses. He has also worked as Auditor and Client Manager for the company.

The Northern Commercial Centre, which was established in March 2002, was originally based near Manchester Airport but quickly expanded and moved to its current location in Stockport in August 2003. In his new role, John will be responsible for overall management of the Centre, from managing profit and target contributions to handling staffing issues, maintaining existing client relationships and developing new business opportunities.

Supporting John is Fiona Parkinson who has been appointed Regional Client Services Director. Fiona, who has been at Close since 2003 will handle new business development, client servicing and risk management, previously she held the position of Client Manager and Senior Client Manager within the Stockport business.

John Crawshaw said he's delighted to be taking the helm of the Northern team at such an exciting time for the company, which is consistently receiving industry recognition.

"We were named Best Factoring and Invoice Discounting Provider for the third time in the Business Moneyfacts awards 2007, and have been nominated again in this category in 2008. Meanwhile, our unique paperless invoice discounting service IDeal continues to earn us a nationwide reputation for market-leading technology and service. Locally too, we're growing fast and I'm looking forward to welcoming new business to the Stockport office in 2008."

David Thomson Chief Executive of Close Invoice Finance added:

"The appointments mark an important step for Close, reinforcing our commitment to enhance our offer for businesses in the North and to continued expansion of our broader regional network. Both John and Fiona have been instrumental in building a strong presence for Close in Northern England so far, so they are well placed to spearhead its development going forward."