Nucleus Commercial Finance has appointed Sam Percival as business development manager for London and the South East.

The alternative business lender said that the appointment comes at a crucial time, as small- and medium-sized enterprises show increased demand for finance following the removal of lockdown restrictions.

Percival (pictured) previously worked for Nucleus in 2016 and has spent the past four years as regional director at asset-backed lender Ultimate Finance.

Before these roles, he worked at lenders Aldermore Bank and Credit Agricole.

Nucleus said that Percival will be responsible for driving growth and building SME relationships in London and the South East to help scale the business and meet SMEs’ evolving financing needs.

“It’s a really exciting time to be joining as the business continues to ramp up innovation across its products,” said Percival.

“As a fintech, Nucleus is leading the pack in harnessing technology to ensure SMEs get the critical working capital facilities they need fast. Having played a vital role lending £200m to businesses as part of the coronavirus business interruption loan Scheme (CBILS), Nucleus’ broad product range puts the lender in a strong position to provide flexible finance as SMEs are eager to kickstart their businesses.”

Chirag Shah, chief executive of Nucleus, said that Percival brings with him “a strong network and passion for helping SMEs access financing that fits their needs”.

“Sam’s appointment is testament to our commitment to the market, continuing to build relationships with key introducer networks to get our tailored solutions into the hands of businesses that need them,” he added.