We caught up with Mark Camp, Director at Premier Asset Finance, in our latest ‘Five mins with…’ series. Mark explains what attracted him to the sector and insight into interesting deals he’s worked on.

Can you tell us a bit about your career background to date?

I started with the Bank of Scotland group as a ‘fresh-faced’ 22-year-old, progressing up the career ladder via several Branch Manager roles at larger offices. I then stepped into a Senior Sales role in 2002, working alongside Bank Relationship Managers to cross-sell asset finance products to their customer base. I then left the Bank to join Premier Asset Finance in 2008 as a Director.

What attracted you to the asset finance sector?

It’s not a particularly impressive answer, but the truth is my mum saw the advert in the paper (33 years ago!) and suggested I apply! I was working in sales at the time, for a very small company and knew that I wanted to move into a larger business, which could offer me a proper career.

I've always enjoyed numbers and I’m eternally curious, so, although I didn’t know what to expect before I joined, I quickly came to love getting to see some of the inner workings of businesses in sectors I didn’t even know existed!

What is your main focus at Premier Asset Finance and what do you enjoy about the role?

My main focus is customer service. There are a huge number of different lenders and brokers on offer to a customer, so I have always believed that the best way to differentiate myself is by being efficient and effective, always keeping customers informed of progress and being very straightforward and candid in my communication with them.

I have always enjoyed interacting with people and love that I can deal with the finance director of a £90 million business in the morning and a sole trader turning over £60,000 in the afternoon. I also get a real buzz out of helping customers find pragmatic solutions to their funding needs, especially helping the less financially astute in navigating the sometimes complex task of finding a suitable, competitively priced product.

What’s the most interesting deal you have worked on?

There are two that come to mind, the first being a large fairground ride for a local amusement business. I had no experience in the sector, so had to do quite a lot of research to persuade the underwriters that these assets are actually among the slowest depreciating ones available and there is a vibrant resale market as many, smaller amusement parks regularly buy and sell them, to keep their offering ‘fresh’.

One of the largest deals I have funded was a bespoke, automatic ‘Vertical Anodising Line’, which uses electrical currents to coat various metals for aesthetics and corrosion protection. The whole line was over £2.5 million and we provided a staged payment facility, with a non-UK supplier. The deal took over a year and a half from proposal to final drawdown, so it was a lot of work, but very satisfying to complete

Before we go, we’d love to know if you’ve got any hidden talents or party tricks?

I'm not sure about any hidden talents or party tricks, but I speak reasonably good French and cycle 150-200 miles most weeks?!

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