Commercial Expert has added a former Barclays Bank business development manager to its ever-growing team of commercial finance specialists.

David Burford, who was business development manager at Barclays for nine years, has joined the Newton Aycliffe commercial finance broker as appointed representative for Cardiff.

He is the third appointed representative to join the team in the last six months and reflects the firm’s growing presence across the UK.

David brings with him more than 20 years’ experience working with a range of local and national brokers, helping businesses of all sizes obtain fair and affordable finance.

In his role at Barclays, he was responsible for more than 200 IFA/mortgage broker firms, overseeing an annual turnover exceeding £250 million.

As Commercial Expert’s appointed representative for Cardiff, he will use his knowledge of property-related finance to support those in the local area to get the right level of funding.

Commenting on his new role, David said:

Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic has presented additional challenges for businesses, especially from an access to fair and ethical finance perspective.

“The property market remains buoyant but with so many opportunities flying around, there’s a need for education on what type of finance is the right one for clients. Getting the correct advice is more important than ever and my new role at Commercial Expert gives me peace of mind that I will be a part of ensuring people receive that.

“When I first came across the AR roles at Commercial Expert, I jumped at the chance to chat. It’s not just the freedom to run my own business, but also to be able to do so with the support of a highly regarded network. The model is like nothing I’ve seen before. It works well for introducers and clients alike as it gives a personal contact backed by an experienced and established network.

“The support really is second to none and this will result in an excellent experience for my customers.”

Commercial Expert has operated with an appointed representative model since 2018, hiring its first, James Gwynne, as Leeds AR.

Under the model, commercial finance specialists are appointed to provide regionalised support to people seeking funding in their local area. They immediately become part of the CE team, despite being official consultants, receiving access to its head office and full administration support.

The AR model is built on flexibility, so that work-life balance remains a priority.

Director at Commercial Expert, Mike Coates said:

I am so over the moon to have someone with David’s experience joining our team.

“Our support to businesses and the self-employed across the UK has increased massively over the last few years and his appointment will mean we are able to continue increasing that support.

“Our AR model was designed to give independent commercial finance experts the chance to build their business further by providing them with a network of support and access to better deals.

“It’s been a very effective way of ensuring more customers have better access to the right kind of finance.”