Santander Consumer Finance appoints new commercial director

Santander Consumer Finance has appointed Steve Franklin as its new commercial director.

Franklin has moved into the role after serving as chief commercial officer for Santander Consumer Finance Nordics.

Prior to that he was commercial director of Hyundai Capital UK, the captive finance company for Hyundai Motor UK, Kia UK and Genesis UK, which operates as a joint venture with Santander Consumer Finance,

Franklin started his career as part of the Ford Credit graduate programme in 2005, joining Santander in 2010 and working in senior management roles and building long term relationships with car retailers and OEM brand partners.

He said: “I’m delighted to return to the UK to lead Santander Consumer Finance at an exciting time in its development with a book of over half a million live customer agreements and a growing portfolio of OEM partnerships.”

Adam Goldhagen, Santander Consumer UK chief executive, said: “With his deep understanding of Santander Consumer Finance and the evolving motor finance landscape, Steve will bring valuable experience, perspectives and leadership to the team as the business targets further growth opportunities.”

Since its launch in the UK in 2005, Santander Consumer Finance has funded over 3.2 million vehicles, providing more than £40 billion of loans and partners with over 4,500 dealers.