The premium finance provider’s chief executive for UK and Ireland says ’we’ve got big plans for the business and the right team in place to deliver them’

PremFina has today (9 May 2022) appointed former Close Brothers employees Paul Trail and Laura Sweetman as its new UK sales and marketing director and UK chief operating officer respectively.

Both will report to Premfina’s UK and Ireland chief executive, Sharon Bishop who joined the business last summer. Bishop was previously chief executive at Close Brothers for seven years before she stepped down in July 2020 after 17 years with the premium finance provider.

Bishop said: “I’m delighted to welcome Trail and Sweetman to the business. Their experience, insights and enthusiasm for the sector are boundless.

“We’ve got big plans for the business and the right team in place to deliver them.”

Trail, who was previously retail chief executive at Close Brothers, announced that he was stepping down in April last year after the firm underwent a senior management reshuffle.

Next chapter

Trail held several positions at Close Brothers, including sales director and managing director Close Brothers Premium Finance,

Before joining Close Brother’s Premium Finance business, he worked at Close Brothers’ Motor Finance division.

He has also held senior sales roles at HSBC and Citibank. At PremFina, Trail will be responsible for managing and developing broker relationships.

Trail said: “PremFina is uniquely placed to offer something different to brokers, whether that is embedding premium finance or its software support for broker-funded loans. I’m proud to be joining a team that combines innovation with deep industry experience.

“I’m now looking forward to meeting brokers across the country, discussing how PremFina can fuel its business growth and our exciting product roadmap.”

Sweetman spent two decades in several senior operational and sales roles at Close Brothers Premium Finance, working with some of the UK’s largest brokers on service and support.

Sweetman added: “The opportunity to apply all the experience I have gained over the last 20 years in the premium finance world to a business that has great tech as its foundation and a clean sheet of paper on how we use it was compelling.

“I’m looking forward to growing the business as part of a driven team to deliver a truly differentiated proposition that meets brokers’ evolving needs.”