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Meet the Portman team.

Alex founded Portman Asset Finance in 2007 and has given dynamic leadership to the Portman Finance Group since inception, growing the business to become one of the largest and most respected hybrid commercial finance broker-lenders in the UK. Alex has also founded a range of profitable businesses such as Boost Trampoline Parks, a Commercial Property company, a residential development and lettings business as well as two commercial finance lending businesses, namely Portman Leasing and Portman Commercial Finance. Alex is able to draw on a wealth of business experience across a range of industries to ensure that Portman continues to deliver an exceptional service for its clients, innovation and growth. 

Simon is responsible for the development and implementation, as part of the Board, of the Portman Finance Group’s strategic growth initiatives and overall operational efficiency. This includes overseeing Portman’s Strategy, Credit, Finance, Marketing, Compliance, Administration, Legal, Talent & HR, Client Relations and Collections functions. Simon has a diverse corporate and commercial background and holds an MA from the University of Cambridge bringing a wealth of commercial and operational expertise to Portman’s Board.

Ben Laidler is able to draw on over 15 years’ experience in senior leadership positions in various Sales and account management roles. Ben has a wealth of knowledge of the commercial finance and asset finance sector and was appointed Sales Director of Portman in 2020. His early career involved several years working in high-end real estate sales, with over 10 years management experience of sales teams of varying sizes. Prior to joining Portman, Ben was responsible for managing a 5 office region, which grew under his management to be the highest-grossing region of a nationally-known estate agency.

Mark is an experienced finance professional with 25 years of experience working across a range of industry sectors. Having started his career at Deloitte, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, Mark gained experience of asset finance at one of Europe’s largest materials handling equipment suppliers. Mark has since held a number of senior leadership roles in manufacturing and technology/software businesses and also gained further financial services experience working in another group which included both a finance and an insurance brokerage division.

Mark has a breadth of experience including significant transformation programmes, system implementation, mergers and acquisitions, and the development and review of internal control procedures. Mark is responsible for our day-to-day financial management at Portman, which includes developing and maintaining Portman’s lender relationships, supporting our external advisors, and helping to drive the growth in our own-book lending objectives.

After graduating with a degree in Law, Simon has worked within the financial services sector for over 20 years. Having gained a broad range of experience in managing several operational departments, he moved into risk and compliance in 2014 and implemented, developed, and led a financial crime team and compliance department within a major UK broker-lender as an FCA approved Senior Manager. Simon has a wide-ranging knowledge of the industry and a deep understanding of commercial finance brokers and lenders. 

Following a career within the property rental/ management sector, where Brad’s rapport with customers and clients saw him rise to the position of Area Manager, Brad joined Portman in 2020.

Our first Sales Director, Brad has expert knowledge of the finance and loan market, helping his clients identify sources funding from right across the market and specialist lenders.

Brad is also an accomplished golfer, having completed a professional Golf Scholarship and playing off a handicap of 2. So if you’re looking to combine finance options and golf tips, Brad is your guy.

Matt is a sales professional with a strong background in driving business growth and development. Following the completion of his BA in Business Management in 2013, he embarked on a ten-year career within the automotive industry. Holding the position of Branch Manager for the UK’s leading vehicle rental company, Matt successfully managed and expanded multiple branches across East Anglia.

Joining Portman Finance Group in 2021, Matt rapidly acquired in-depth knowledge of commercial and asset finance. His exceptional contributions and strategic acumen led to his promotion to Sales Director in October 2023. In this role, Matt is instrumental in developing and executing sales strategies to achieve the company’s growth objectives.

A resident expert in asset finance, machinery and agricultural financing, Josh has occupied senior positions with Portman for the last 6 years.

Josh’s forte is investing time in his clients to really understand their business. He is known for offering a consultative approach and tailoring bespoke solutions to help his clients grow.

Josh has also helped structure and deliver our new employee training programme alongside fellow senior team member Andrew Parish.

Dan joined Portman in 2022, bringing with him 8 years’ experience in Sales, Branch, and Account Management, as well as a first-class degree in Business Management and Economics.

During his time with Portman, Dan has brought excellent team management skills alongside a genuine desire to help his customers achieve their goals.

Andrew is an accomplished and results-driven Sales Director with over 10 years of experience in both sales and team management. With a passion for driving revenue growth and building high-performing teams, Andrew has successfully led sales initiatives across multiple industries, consistently exceeding targets and fostering strong client relationships.

Throughout his career, Andrew has demonstrated an exceptional ability to foster relationships, manage key accounts, and mentor teams to deliver outstanding results. His leadership style is centred around collaboration, innovation, and supporting initiative, ensuring that every team member is motivated to contribute to the overall success of the organisation.

Andrew excels in identifying new business opportunities, negotiating complex deals, and closing sales that drive long-term growth. His ability to balance data-driven decision-making with a genuine passion for customer satisfaction has made him a key asset.

Niele joined Portman in July 2023 as Sales Operations Manager and was promoted to Chief of Staff for the Chief Operating Officer in November 2025. Niele is responsible for management of Portman’s major projects as well as for development of the company’s growing sales administration team.

Having worked primarily in legal and financial services environments for over 22 years, Niele is a respected senior manager. She brings a wealth of experience in sales administration and new business, including developing teams and driving efficiency through improved systems and processes.

Mark joined Portman with a wealth of credit management and underwriting experience. He is charged with day-to-day responsibility of the operational aspects of credit underwriting, the implementation of a credit risk framework including oversight and implementation of procedures and processes. Having worked in London and the City for the past 17 years, he originally started in the Asset Finance industry in 1992.

Mark’s previous experience has been with an established Finance House operating in both UK SME and consumer markets, financing a wide range of hard and soft assets. As a key stakeholder, Mark has also been instrumental in the formation of new loan portfolios on behalf of two challenger banks and a medium ticket SME broker. 

Saul brings 20 years of broad marketing, CRM and analytics experience to Portman as well as a focus on data-driven campaigns and a keen interest in digital marketing. Saul holds a degree in Marketing from the University of Lancaster and post-graduate diploma in Direct and Digital Marketing from the IDM. Before joining Portman in October 2021, Saul spent many years in construction marketing, having held senior positions within both Travis Perkins and Grafton Group as well as both marketing and pricing experience with global safety giant Brady Corporation.  

With over 20 years of design industry experience, Mark draws from a diverse portfolio having delivered award-winning projects for high-profile clients including Google, Redbull, Wimbledon AELTC, Greater London Authority, Sir Robert McAlpine and National Rail. As our in-house Head of Design he provides a wealth of knowledge and broad skill-set used to drive forward our in-house standards and capabilities, whilst providing guidance and mentoring of our internal team.  

In addition to earning a Masters degree, he has practiced a broad range of roles working with a variety of organisations from start-ups to government agencies and multinational corporations. Outside of delivering his own creative outputs as a design lead, he has additional success as both studio and production manager, organising global multi-faceted teams, procurement and bidding, through to public consultation events and client management.  

Jack is a CRM and technical implementation expert with academic degrees in both Software Development and Networking. With a proven track record of designing, developing, and implementing scalable tech solutions for SMEs and Enterprise-level businesses globally, Jack brings a wealth of experience and innovative strategies to the table.

Since joining Portman in 2021, Jack has been responsible for driving the tech team’s successful contributions to the growth of Portman. Jack’s forward-thinking approach continues to challenge and expand B2B fintech capabilities, solidifying his reputation as a pivotal player in the industry.

Outside of work, Jack is the co-founder of a successful consumer tech business in a newly emerging market.

After graduating in 2009 with a BA Management degree, Kaz started his career in Credit Control at Nationwide Building Society Head office where he gained a wealth of experience in collections within both consumer and commercial portfolios.

Kaz continued his career at Hudson Energy and Opus Energy, where commercial debt was the priority. Joining Portman Finance in 2019, his role now involves taking ownership of arrears, managing day-to-day business debt, liaising with third-party solicitors for legal action when necessary, and attending site visits across the UK as required. He has also built extensive knowledge within the Asset Finance industry.

Tamara is a highly experienced Client Relations Manager with a strong track record of delivering exceptional customer service. With over 20 years dedicated to customer-focused roles, she brings a unique blend of public and private sector experience to Portman.

Her career includes a demanding role as a team manager in a police force control room, where she honed her ability to thrive in high-pressure environments. This, combined with her entrepreneurial experience running a small equestrian business, has equipped Tamara with a comprehensive understanding of customer needs and the skills to build lasting relationships.

Tamara is passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences and has a proven ability to lead and motivate teams. Her strong interpersonal skills and deep industry knowledge make her an invaluable asset to the Portman team.

Paul is an experienced Finance professional with over 15 years’ experience within diverse business sectors and is CIMA Qualified.

Paul was our Management Accountant for 5 years, responsible for producing Portman’s financial information for the Board of Directors.

Paul recently used his extensive knowledge of Asset Finance to implement Portman’s new Payouts team, focusing on managing and growing our own-book portfolio.

Before joining Portman, Paul spent many years as an accountant in the construction and service industries, while also being a Sarbanes-Oxley auditor.