Funding Circle Picks Former Liberis Chief Rob Straathof as Next CEO
UK small business lender Funding Circle has appointed Rob Straathof, former head of Liberis, as its next chief executive, effective in the first half of 2027.
Straathof, who has been running Berlin-based technology subscription platform Grover since October 2025, will take over from Lisa Jacobs, who announced in September she would step down. Jacobs will remain in charge until the handover and will leave no later than September 2027.
The UK lender raised its 2026 guidance in September after reporting that first-half pre-tax profit had quadrupled. Revenue rose 50% to £138.2 million, while profit before tax reached £24.1 million, up from £6.0 million a year earlier.
Experience in Small Business Lending
Straathof arrives from a smaller lender targeting the same customer base. Under his leadership, Liberis funded over 100,000 small businesses with more than $4 billion. Funding Circle itself has provided over £18 billion (approximately US$24 billion) to 135,000 UK firms since 2010.
Profit Growth Amid Sector Slowdown
Jacobs joined Funding Circle in 2012 and became chief executive in January 2022. Her tenure has seen significant growth, with term loan originations increasing 43% to £1.05 billion in the first half of 2026. In August, Castlelake committed up to £500 million of funding to the company.
The profit growth occurred while the wider UK fintech sector raised less money. UK fintech investment fell 67% to £1.8 billion in the first six months of 2026, according to KPMG data.
Following the strong first-half performance, Funding Circle raised its full-year guidance to revenue above £255 million and pre-tax profit above £40 million.
Strategic Direction
Straathof emphasized the importance of technology and data in expanding access to small business owners. He described the strategy already in place as clear and expressed his intention to build upon it.
The company noted that Straathof grew Liberis from a UK lender with a single partner into an embedded finance platform offering multiple products. The Nomination Committee conducted the search with an independent executive search firm, and Straathof's start date will be confirmed later.
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