eCapital UK names Mike Harrison South Regional Chief

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

eCapital UK has appointed Mike Harrison as Regional Managing Director, South, expanding the lender’s leadership team in Southern England.

Harrison brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate banking, invoice finance and fintech. He has held senior roles at Bank of Scotland and Bank of Ireland, and spent six years at a technology company later sold to private equity investors.

In his new role, he will oversee growth across Southern England and manage relationships with clients and intermediaries. eCapital’s southern footprint includes offices in Reading and Bristol.

The appointment comes as smaller businesses continue to seek alternatives to mainstream bank lending. Invoice finance and asset-based lending providers have positioned themselves as options for companies looking for working capital support outside traditional bank products.

eCapital provides invoice finance, asset-based lending and working capital funding for small and medium-sized businesses. It operates from five regional offices across England, Scotland and Wales.

Its parent, eCapital Corp, also serves businesses in the United States and Canada. In the UK, the group works with companies in sectors including food and beverage, recruitment, human resources, transport and manufacturing.

Market shift

Demand for specialist funding has risen as some businesses struggle to secure lending that fits their needs, creating an opening for non-bank and specialist finance providers seeking a larger share of the SME market.

Mark Finn, UK Group Managing Director at eCapital UK, outlined the group’s view of the market as it announced the appointment.

“I am delighted to welcome Mike to eCapital UK. Having worked with him previously, I have seen first-hand his ability to combine strong commercial acumen with a genuine focus on building long-term relationships with small business owners. Mike brings a unique blend of experience across sales leadership, credit, corporate banking and client management, which makes him exceptionally well suited to this role.

“As traditional banks continue to retrench from SME lending, many ambitious businesses are defaulting to short-term borrowing or loan stacking because they haven’t been shown the alternatives. That’s where eCapital is different. Our regional teams take the time to understand each business, helping clients access funding structures that support growth rather than simply solving today’s cash flow challenge. Mike’s experience will further strengthen that approach across the South.”

Harrison’s background spans both lending and financial technology, a combination many specialist finance firms have sought as they build regional coverage and respond to changing borrower expectations. His experience in invoice finance is likely to be central to eCapital’s push in the South, where competition for SME customers remains strong among banks, independent funders and fintech lenders.

Regional focus

Regional leadership remains a significant part of the company’s UK structure. Its model is centred on relationship managers with local and sector knowledge, reflecting a broader trend among specialist lenders seeking to differentiate themselves through local decision-making and closer ties with introducers.

For intermediaries, appointments at regional managing director level are often closely watched because they can signal where a lender intends to focus origination efforts. Southern England contains a large share of the UK’s SME base, including businesses in logistics, services, professional sectors and manufacturing that regularly use working capital products tied to invoices and receivables.

Harrison described the move as part of a wider expansion phase for the company.

“I am thrilled to be joining eCapital UK at such an exciting stage in the company’s growth journey. eCapital has built a strong reputation for delivering flexible funding solutions and exceptional service. I look forward to working alongside the talented team to further strengthen our relationships with clients and introducers in the South, helping more businesses access the funding they need to seize opportunities and grow with confidence.”