WeDo Business Services Group expands leadership team

Leasing Life Ā· (WeDo. From left)

The WeDo Business Services group, a specialist in invoice and trade finance, asset finance, loans, and start-up funding, has strengthened its leadership team with two strategic hires as part of its ongoing expansion plans.

Sam Wilson has been appointed as chief commercial officer, where she will oversee the groupā€™s sales operations, focusing on securing new business and maintaining relationships with key partners. Eileene Hardy joins as business development manager, supporting the sales team as WeDo targets growth in new sectors.

Both positions are newly created national roles based at WeDo's head office in Oldham. With over 45 years of combined experience in banking and commercial finance, including invoice finance and asset-based lending, Wilson and Hardy bring substantial expertise to their new roles. Both previously worked at 4Syte, where Wilson served as regional managing director and Hardy as business development manager.

Founded in 2019 by joint chief executives Mark Lindsay and Chris Robinson, WeDo has rapidly expanded from just four employees to over 70 through organic growth and acquisition. The group now provides a wide range of services, including accountancy, HR, back-office, and IT services, and has a nationwide client base across sectors such as recruitment, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, and wholesale distribution.

WeDo's current lending exceeds ļæ”50 million, and the company aims to double this to ļæ”100 million within the next three years. Recent growth has been bolstered by ļæ”50 million in funding from alternative investment manager Waterfall Asset Management, enabling the group to significantly expand its support for SMEs across the UK.

Over the past year, WeDo has also launched new asset finance and loans divisions and appointed James Broadhead, former chief executive of Close Brothers Motor Finance, as its new chairman. The company was recently recognised in the 2024 Sunday Times Best Places to Work list.

Mark Lindsay, joint chief executive of WeDo, commented on the new appointments: ā€œSam and Eileene are highly respected in the finance sector and will play pivotal roles in achieving our ambitious growth targets. Their expertise and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to expand and maintain our high standards of customer service.ā€

Further recruitment is planned as WeDo continues to scale its operations.

Sam Wilson added: ā€œJoining WeDo at this stage of its growth is an exciting opportunity. The companyā€™s strong product offering aligns with my experience, and I look forward to contributing to its continued success.ā€