Bibby Financial Services has named Phil Tobin as managing director for trade and international, as the company looks to expand its export and trade finance efforts in 2017.

Tobin (pictured) has 24 years of experience in the invoice finance sector. He joined Bibby in 2014, where he was previously head of operations for Bibby’s construction finance team. He has also held various roles at Lloyds Bank, most recently as area director, commercial finance.

Commenting on his appointment, Tobin says he will continue the firm’s focus on helping SMEs navigate through Brexit and enter overseas markets.

“There is a lot of uncertainty for UK SMEs in the current climate following the vote to leave the EU. Businesses that are exporting have seen increases in sales as buyers see better value. Importers, however, have been hit by rising costs. SMEs are looking for support and greater certainty when they are trading overseas which we are able to provide,” he says.

Bibby’s global chief executive David Postings adds: “We’re delighted to appoint Phil to managing director for trade and international. Enabling businesses to import and export with confidence is a key part of our growth strategy and I’m confident that we’ll be able to grow our support for SMEs further under Phil’s leadership.”

Bibby is a UK invoice finance provider, supporting more than 7,000 businesses in 300 industry sectors.