Broker Montane Finance unveils new unsecured lending division

UK-based specialist independent finance broker Montane Finance has expanded with a new division focused on unsecured and asset-backed lending to SMEs.

The new arm of Montane Finance will provide commercial lending of up to £1m to growing SMEs and is led by Shareen Zaman (pictured right), who joined from Response Business Finance.

She has already been working with lenders to arrange deals for a range of SMEs, including those operating in the energy, hospitality and motor retail sectors.

Montane Finance, which is a division of the Montane group of businesses, has until now, been focused on secured property-backed funding to support the healthcare and hospitality sectors.

In the past 12 months, it has completed transactions totalling more than £75m.

“Shareen comes with a wealth of experience in commercial lending and will help to enhance our product offering with her abundance of expertise in unsecured and asset-backed finance,” said Scott Murcott (pictured left), group founder and managing director at Montane.

“This new role will extend our reach to SMEs across all sectors and enable us to provide a more holistic and progressive service to ambitious businesses.”

Murcott pointed to “a significant gap in the market for this type of lending”, adding that it will support its growing client base by giving them the ability to expand and improve their cashflow.

“I’m excited to help build up the business, working alongside Scott’s knowledgeable and experienced team to get more lenders and clients on board,” Zaman added.

The Montane group of businesses also includes Montane Care, which is a specialist business property adviser providing commercial advice on the sale and acquisition of care homes and childcare facilities across the UK.

Montane Insurance is a boutique commercial broker for the hospitality and healthcare sectors.