Leonard Curtis has established a dedicated funding team in Liverpool, expanding its regional capabilities across the UK. The professional services firm appointed Paul Sharpe as funding relationship manager, bringing onboard expertise from Metro Bank to lead the new operation.
A New Approach to Business Financing
Sharpe will work alongside Mike Dinnell, who takes on the role of structured debt manager, and Conor Jones as business advisory analyst. Together, they will connect companies in Merseyside, Chester and North Wales with appropriate financing and advisory services.
The appointment reflects a broader effort to place specialized financial expertise directly within regional offices. Understanding what clients aim to achieve plays a central part in identifying suitable solutions.
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His responsibilities include working with internal colleagues, lenders, introducers and business owners to bring together the right combination of expertise for each situation. “My role will be to work closely with businesses and our network of lenders and introducers to understand those requirements and bring the right people and expertise around the table,” he explained.
Building on a National Strategy
The Liverpool launch follows the establishment of a similar team in Birmingham last May, forming part of Leonard Curtis’ national growth strategy. The Birmingham operation includes Alison Taylor, Jas Mall and Ed Brown, who work alongside the firm’s existing Midlands presence to deliver funding and advisory support.
Regional expansion has become a common approach among professional services firms seeking to compete with larger national players. Rather than centralizing expertise in London, distributing specialized teams across multiple locations allows firms to respond more directly to local market conditions and established client relationships.
Becky Owen, head of funding at Leonard Curtis, said Liverpool represents a significant opportunity for the firm. “Bringing dedicated funding resource into our existing Liverpool office means we can offer businesses even greater access to the funding options available to them, while drawing on the wider expertise of the Leonard Curtis team,” she noted. “Paul is a great addition and I’m looking forward to seeing the team develop.”
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Integrating With Existing Operations
Donna Crompton, director and head of Liverpool at Leonard Curtis, pointed to the strength of the firm’s existing presence in the city. The office already maintains a broad client base and professional network across the region.
“Adding dedicated funding expertise to that existing network strengthens the support we can offer from our Liverpool office and means funding can form part of a wider conversation when clients are dealing with growth, investment or financial challenges,” she said.
The approach differs from purely brokerage models by embedding financial expertise within advisory relationships that already exist. This allows funding considerations to emerge as part of broader conversations about business strategy rather than as separate transactions.
