Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has appointed Jim Davis as its new managing director for export finance.

Davis replaces Craig Durnell, who left BFS last month to join HSBC as a regional performance director in Bristol. Durnell had headed up BFS’s export finance department since May last year.

Davis has more than 25 years of experience in financial services. He first worked for BFS from 2002-2005, before leaving for HSBC and later moving to Yorkshire Bank. He rejoined BFS in 2011, and since 2013 has been the head of sales for the West Midlands, a role which saw him involved in the opening of BFS’s West Midlands business centre in 2014.

Speaking of his appointment, Davis says that with the UK’s departure from the EU on the horizon, the country’s SMEs need expert support more than ever. BFS’s export team supports SMEs by providing upfront payment against overseas invoices and access to a team of export specialists.

“In addition to providing valuable support for existing exporters, we want to be able to help those businesses new to international trade to uncover growth opportunities overseas. I look forward to supporting the growth of thousands of UK SMEs in my new role,” he says.