Invoice financier Advantedge Commercial Finance has appointed Ruth Bethel as its business development manager for the South West.
Ruth, pictured, has re-joined the business having previously spent three years with it as regional sales manager before leaving four years ago. 
In her new role she will be responsible for leading the continued development of the firms’ presence in the region, working through financial advisors to help businesses access the funding they require.
Advantedge offers a full range of invoice finance facilities to small and medium-sized businesses.
Ruth has two decades’ experience in financial services under her belt, having worked at Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and invoice finance firm Bibby Financial Services in business development roles.
Over the past four years she has worked at South West accountancy firm Albert Goodman and Business West, the region’s largest business support group, where she advised business owners under a Covid 19 recovery project.
She also works with manufacturing company Track Systems UK, so has practical experience of the challenges facing the SMEs.
Ruth said: “I am absolutely delighted to be re-joining Advantedge at what is a crucially important time for businesses and bringing my experience to support their recovery.
“The South West’s economy has been hard hit by the pandemic and reports suggest the region is unlikely to return to its pre-pandemic levels until 2024 with slow growth over the next few years.
“Despite this, some cities in the region – Bristol and Exeter – are forecast to do better.
“Advantedge is committed to ensuring businesses have the right funding solutions to capitalise on opportunities as they arise. With funding facilities available up to £2m, I am looking forward to playing a part in the regions recovery.”
Advantedge regional managing director Bryn Ible added: “We are delighted that Ruth has re-joined the team.
“She has a credible reputation in the region for delivering fast funding solutions to businesses looking to access finance to make their plans become a reality.
“Advantedge remain committed to personal and local relationships to ensure we can deliver empathetic solutions that meet our clients’ expectations. She understands the importance of building transparent and local relationships with businesses and their advisors, and we are looking forward to continuing to make a difference to businesses in the region.”
Advantedge, which has offices in Newport, Birmingham, Oxfordshire, Manchester and Glasgow, has grown significantly since its launch in 2001 and has provided more than £2bn of funding to businesses over that period. It was recently acquired by US-based eCapital Corp, a provider of speciality lending solutions, with the existing management team retaining a 20% stake in the company.
