White Oak UK appoints Jean-Marc Torre as Chief Executive Officer

Former BNP Paribas’ Bank of the West Head of Corporate and Commercial Banking will spearhead White Oak UK’s lending activity

The firm, which has a portfolio value in excess of £500 million, continues to support SMEs and mid-corporates amid pullback from traditional lenders

1 September 2022, Chester: Leading independent lender to UK SMEs and mid corporates, White Oak UK (“White Oak” and “the firm”), has appointed Jean-Marc Torre as the firm’s new Chief Executive Officer in the UK to oversee further growth in lending activity.

Torre has 30 years of banking experience and has spent the majority of his carrier being the country head and chief executive at various BNP Paribas Bank subsidiaries with a focus on commercial finance and lending. 

Torre’s experience will further bolster White Oak’s ongoing commitment to providing flexible funding solutions to support the growth ambitions of UK SMEs and mid-corporates – an objective that has remained a constant since the firm’s establishment in 1986 under the former LDF Group.

The firm, an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors (“WOGA”), has supported the UK economy throughout the Coronavirus Pandemic as an accredited lender in the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). White Oak UK continues to support both new and existing customers by offering longer term financing arrangements, including working capital, asset finance and invoice finance solutions, which helps them weather current economic conditions, as well as providing capital for future growth opportunities, and thereby supporting the long-term prospects of the UK economy.

Jean-Marc Torre, Chief Executive Officer of White Oak UK, said: “I’m very pleased to have joined White Oak, one of the UK’s largest non-bank lenders, given its excellent reputation, experience and capabilities, and thirty-year track record in the alternative lending space both in the UK and globally. SMEs and mid-corporates are the backbone of the UK economy, and during these changing times it is essential that they are supported with the necessary and innovative funding solutions to help them grow and thrive, not only to aid our economic recovery, but to ensure we have a world-leading, competitive business landscape moving forward. White Oak is ideally positioned to continue to drive this effort forward – as evidenced already with a portfolio value of over £500 million.”

Andre Hakkak, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at WOGA, said: “We’re excited to have Jean-Marc join our team. His experience and in-depth knowledge of the SME and mid-corporate space will be instrumental to ramping up our UK lending activity. In spite of the fallout from current macroeconomic challenges, we are confident in the resilience and success of the UK economy. With Jean-Marc at the helm we are perfectly placed to expand our support for UK businesses at a time when other traditional lenders are pulling back funding."

ABOUT WHITE OAKUK

White Oak is a leading lending platform, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, which provides capital to support SMEs and mid-corporates through an extensive suite of flexible lending solutions - including commercial loans, asset finance and invoice financing. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Chester, UK, White Oak’s team of 170 supports over 20,000 businesses with their financing needs and holds a 4.9 Star rating on Feefo. White Oak is an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, a debt manager providing financing solutions for SMEs. Together with its affiliates, White Oak Global Advisors has deployed $10billion across product lines. More information can be found at https://whiteoakeurope.com/.

ABOUT WHITE OAK GLOBAL ADVISORS

White Oak Global Advisors, LLC (“WOGA”) is a leading alternative debt manager specializing in originating and providing financing solutions to support small and middle market enterprises at every stage of their lifecycle. WOGA and its financing affiliates optimize capital structure based on available assets and cash flow and provide over twenty lending products to the market that include term, asset-based, and equipment loans. Since its inception in 2007, WOGA and its affiliates have deployed over $10 billion across its product lines, utilizing a hands-on, disciplined investment process that focuses on delivering risk-adjusted investment returns to investors, while establishing long-term partnerships with its borrowers. More information can be found at www.whiteoaksf.com.

ContactPhilip WaltersProsek Partners (on behalf of White Oak)
pro-whiteoakuk@prosek.com