Bristol-based invoice finance provider Optimum Finance has hired Amir Pournasrollahzadeh to lead its regional sales team in the East of England.
Pournasrollahzadeh was most recently sales director at Muse Finance for around a year and a senior business development manager (BDM) at Hitachi Capital for around five years.
Prior to that he was senior BDM at Novuna Business Cash Flow for around five years and at RBS Invoice Finance as a BDM for nearly two years.
He has also worked at Capital On Tap, Ebury Partners and Bibby Financial Services.
Ant Persse, CEO of Optimum Finance, said that Pournasrollahzadeh had expertise in making connections and will support the company’s mission in helping businesses engage better with their supply chains.
He continued: “Amir demonstrates great talent in highlighting what businesses want and need to succeed in the modern day.
“We are excited to have him join the team and help us integrate Optimum Finance into his expanding introducer network and provide solutions for businesses that need it most.”
Pournasrollahzadeh added: “Running a business is a tough task in today’s world, it’s a demanding job and when businesses struggle in terms of funding capability, their ambitions and purpose take a significant hit.
“Optimum’s mission to support SMEs and bigger businesses through these struggles is a key part of why I’ve joined the team, to provide a personal touch towards finding solutions that suit business needs and to provide an excellent onboarding and ongoing customer experience providing satisfaction and success.”
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.