Close Brothers Motor Finance has promoted John Cassidy as Director of Commercial Partners, and Matt King to its inaugural ‘Head of Partners’ role.
John has been an integral member of Close Brothers Motor Finance for nearly 12 years, most recently as Head of Brokers and Partnerships. In his time at Close Brothers, John has led the Sales and Operations teams across all the UK territories that the business operates in. Prior to this, he worked at HFC Bank/ HSBC for 17 years. In his new role, John will be leading the evolution of the Commercial Partner team, taking responsibility for Strategic Commercial Partners, Brokers & the Republic of Ireland.
Matt King will be stepping into the new Head of Partners role, reporting into John, who will be overseeing the Commercial Partner Division.
Matt joined Close Brothers Motor Finance in 2017 to lead the national sales team responsible for franchising and national broker relationships. He became Head of Sales Transformation and Capability in January 2019, where he was responsible for defining and executing a multi-million-pound sales transformation programme. This aligned key processes and tools to the business’ strategic objectives. Matt will be working on building a network of potential commercial partners to bring value to the business and its customers, aiding in developing clear plans and timelines to deliver on the team’s ambitions.
Both Matt and John will be instrumental to the growth of the Sales division, which is forecasted for continued success. This will see Close Brothers Motor Finance partnering with new organisations, supporting plans to ensure they are positioned effectively on the consumer journey and supporting their routes to market across the dealer universe.
“John and Matt have been instrumental to the success of Close Brothers Motor Finance and I am personally delighted for both of them,” said Sean Kemple, Managing Director at Close Brothers Motor Finance. “Their expertise in sales, relationship management and finding new, innovative routes to market is second to none and will help us to continue delivering seamless service to our dealers and customers alike. With their experience and knowledge, both John and Matt will be crucial to the continued growth of the Sales division.”
John Cassidy, Director of Commercial Partners, said: “Having been at Close Brothers Motor Finance for well over a decade, this is a new challenge that I’m delighted to get my teeth into. The team is the best in the business and it’s an exciting time for us all as the business goes from strength to strength. We continue to invest in our people and partners, most recently working to set up new partner hubs to better provide bespoke support and help navigate the repercussions of the pandemic on the car industry. I look forward to developing and delivering our strategic plans in the months ahead.”
“I’m very proud to be part of such a valuable team at Close Brothers Motor Finance,” said Matt King, Head of Partners. “I look forward to helping grow our reputation as a successful sales team with excellent partner relationships. Close Brothers Motor Finance has a proven track record of lending through the economic cycle, and as we move towards recovery following the pandemic, our broker and partner division is set to be a strong driver of growth. In my new capacity I will be uniquely positioned to help the team evolve alongside the new normal and thrive in their roles”.
These new strategic appointments will significantly strengthen the commercial partnerships network at Close Brothers Motor Finance through streamlined processes.
