GC Business Finance (GCBF), a Manchester-based alternative business finance provider, has appointed Alex Mearns to the role of Head of Start Up Lending, as it seeks to expand its offering for early-stage businesses.

With almost a decade at The Growth Company under his belt, Alex joined GCBF as a Start Up Loan officer in 2013, progressing through the roles of business loan officer and loan manager. He spent three years at GC Business Growth Hub as a senior business advisor before returning to GCBF to develop, lead and manage the existing Start Up Loan service.

In his new role, Alex will oversee the division and ensure that GCBF helps as many people as possible who are looking to start and grow a new business. This will include expanding the offer to entrepreneurs and embedding automation into its processes, as well as broadening GCBF's start up offer beyond the North West and across the Northern Powerhouse region.

Alex is also committed to demonstrating the multitude of ways that GCBF can support businesses, seeing its clients grow through each phase of their development.

Alex Mearns, Head of Start Up Lending at GC Business Finance, said:

"I’m incredibly proud of what the team has built and how many businesses we have been able to support over the last decade. I'm also driven to ensure that we are constantly improving our offering and look forward to exploring this in the future.

We have so many brilliant examples of businesses who have secured a Start Up Loan and returned for further funding as they expand, and this is testament to the relationships we have and the breadth of expertise in our team. Going forward, I want GCBF to be seen as a best-in-class example of a delivery partner, going above and beyond to help Northern entrepreneurs."

Paul Breen, Director of Business Finance at GC Business Finance, said:

"Investing in the right people that will drive our business forward is essential. Start ups are the bedrock of our economy, and we're excited to have Alex, who has such a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing early-stage businesses, back on our team.”