FCAAuthorised & Regulated · No. 943426 · Lending in the United Kingdom and internationally since 2016

The team behind the lending.

Decisions at ASAF Lending are made by people. So is the leadership of the firm. Meet the executive team and senior leaders who set the operational, credit, and strategic direction.

Executive team

The executive team

Nine senior leaders responsible for the operational running of ASAF Lending. They sit on the executive committee and are jointly accountable for credit policy, regulatory compliance, sustainability outcomes, and business performance.

SA

Sarah Ahmed

Chief Executive Officer

Founder of ASAF Lending. Previously Director of SME Lending at a major UK clearing bank, with prior roles in microfinance and emerging-markets lending. MBA, Cambridge Judge.

JM

James Maddison

Chief Financial Officer

FCA-qualified accountant. 18 years across regulated financial services finance functions, including roles at Barclays and Nationwide. Joined ASAF in 2019.

PE

Priya Eden

Chief Risk Officer

Heads our credit framework and regulatory engagement. Previously at the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority. PhD in Financial Econometrics, LSE.

DL

David Lindgren

Chief Operating Officer

Operations and technology. Background in fintech operations including senior roles at Klarna and Wise. Joined ASAF to lead the international expansion programme.

KO

Kemi Okonkwo

Chief Sustainability Officer

Heads ESG strategy, the green-lending fast-track, and our annual sustainability reporting. Previously at WWF UK and the UN Environment Programme. MSc Environmental Economics, Oxford.

RH

Rachel Henson

Chief Compliance Officer

FCA compliance, AML, financial crime, and regulatory reporting. 22 years across consumer and business lending compliance. Solicitor, qualified 2003.

MT

Michael Tan

Chief Technology Officer

Technology platform, data infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Previously CTO at two UK fintech scale-ups. Computer Science, Imperial College London.

EW

Eleanor Whitlock

Head of International

Leads our 28-country lending operation, with country-by-country regulatory engagement and the language-service team. 16 years in international banking.

FM

Fatima Massoud

Head of People & Culture

Recruitment, development, inclusion, and culture. Previously at major consumer-goods and retail organisations. CIPD chartered.

Board & advisors

The board of directors

Five non-executive directors providing independent oversight of executive performance, risk, and strategy. Chaired by an independent non-executive.

RG

Sir Richard Grenfell

Independent Chair

Former CEO of a FTSE 100 financial services group. 35 years in banking and financial services. Chair since 2021.

AB

Aisha Begum

Senior Independent Director

Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee. Former audit partner at a Big 4 firm. NED on multiple regulated financial services boards.

PV

Pieter van Houten

Non-Executive Director

Chair of the Sustainability Committee. Former CSO at a major European retail bank. Trustee of two environmental foundations.

CL

Carlos López

Non-Executive Director

Chair of the Remuneration Committee. International perspective from senior roles in Spanish, Latin-American and US financial services.

JN

Joanna Nakamura

Non-Executive Director

Chair of the Technology & Cyber Committee. Background in financial technology investing and platform governance.

Want to join us?

We are growing across underwriting, technology, sustainability, and customer service. See open roles or send a speculative application.