BCRS Business Loans has announced the appointment of Emma Leigh as finance director.

Emma has successfully run her own accountancy practice supporting SMEs and served as group financial controller at Barclaycard, bringing a wealth of financial experience to the role.

More recently, Emma served as group financial controller at water treatment firm Culligan Group where she provided integration and leadership support through a key business transition.

In her role as finance director, Emma will support BCRS to provide funding to help businesses reach their full potential.

Emma said: “I am very excited to be joining the BCRS team. Working with a team focused on supporting and developing SMEs sits well with my values. 

“The reason for me setting up and running my accountancy practice was to provide support and leadership to small businesses who needed help to navigate through the world of finance. It feels right to be joining an organisation that shares the same goal.”

BCRS Business Loans chief executive Stephen Deakin added: “We are delighted to welcome Emma to the BCRS team. Her experience working for one of the big high street lenders together with her passion for supporting SMEs makes her a game-changing addition to the team.”

BCRS Business Loans, a story-based lender, provides funding to businesses across the West Midlands that are struggling to access finance from traditional lenders. Businesses can secure loans from between £10,000 and £250,000 to support growth and recovery plans.