The Guild’s individual founder members are in the employ of and represent independent business finance intermediaries and brokers throughout the UK.
They are united in their determination to promote more robust professional business ethics. It is their desire to maintain the best possible benchmarking standards in the industry for both the lenders and corporate borrowers, primarily SME’s, in their marketplace.
In a continually changing, complex and challenging landscape, proper guidance, honesty and clarity of direction when assisting business owners in sourcing their particular financing requirements, has rarely been more necessary than it is today.
It could be so much easier for borrowers in the corporate finance market to access skilled and experienced providers, safe hands in other words, and in my eyes The Guild is here to help them do that.
Stephen Bassett
The board is elected by the members and hold office for a period of 12 months. The board is supported by a Steering Committee that collectively manages the day-to-day affairs and business of the Guild.
With over 50 years’ experience in the asset finance industry, Stephen has worked as a lender, a broker intermediary and represented the sector with a national trade body. He brings his vast knowledge and experience and shares it freely with our members.
“In my 40 years of working in the business finance sector this is the first time I have seen a community of such highly skilled individuals unite to provide UK business owners with access to an unparalleled resource of knowledge, experience and capability.”
“As the owner of an intermediary business myself, I can truly and honestly advocate the hard work and diligence that I know all our members apply when working with their customers to help them secure the best-fit finance solution for their business.”
The Guild can pinpoint it’s origin precisely and that was from a meeting of like-minded individuals that met informally in 2022. The few individuals that met, were subscribed members to the Asset Finance Connect web forum.
From these early and continuing discussions, there was a vision that quickly evolved and that was the thought that if we could find a way to coalesce as a group of independent intermediaries to create a louder voice whilst maintaining the integrity and independence of each firm represented, then that would help to provide a powerful sign-post for business owners as to who to trust when taking decisions as to how to finance their business requirements.
Asset Finance Connect enables face-to-face and digital meetings for UK and European automotive, equipment and asset finance providers that spark new ideas, fuel innovation, and drive industry growth.
Its in-person conferences, roundtables, dinners, awards, and interactive and at-scale digital events build connections between participants and keep them informed.
It helps members broaden and deepen their business networks, understand what’s on the minds of their peers, and consider the impact of technology, regulation, sustainability and economic changes on our members.
Co-hosted by founder Guild member David Grosse and Vice Chairperson Trevor Pirie, this series of podcasts is focused on reaching out to UK business owners.
Providing thoughts, ideas and direction as to how and where to find a trusted business finance professional to help guide them through the finance raising journey, safely and competently.
An engaging, light-hearted and entertaining delivery but with a relevant, important and serious message.
