Our Team
John Lutterloch - Chairman and Chief Executive
John started his working life as a Lloyds Insurance Broker where he spent 7 years with JH Minet Co. before moving into banking where he has spent the last 35 years.
He has held a number of senior management positions including Branch Manager Industrial Bank of Scotland, Vice President of Security Pacific International Leasing Europe Inc., Managing Director of Baltic Leasing Ltd.
In 1989 he became Managing Director of G E Capitals UK and Northern European Business before founding Industrial Investment Group in 1994.
In 2003, he raised private equity and co-founded a new small ticket finance company , St Helens Finance plc which was listed on OFEX in September of that year.
Phil Betts - Regional Director
Phil has extensive experience in our industry working for major banks and finance houses. He established his own Lease Brokerage in 1995.
He worked for Midland Bank (HSBC), Fraser Russell (now Baker Tilly) Accountants, Royscot Trust and British Credit Trust, where he headed up the broker division.
He Left in 1995 to form PB Corporate Finance Limited a company he ran for seven years before selling to Its Your Group plc in 2002.
Barry Briggs - Director Special Projects
Barry is a Chartered Engineer who worked in the Technology sector before joining the Leasing community 20 years ago.
He founded the vendor finance company Technology Group Limited which after seven years strong growth was acquired by Rutland Trust Plc.
Barry has held board positions with both public and private companies and worked at a senior level on projects including vendor programmes, portfolio acquisition and distressed receivables.
Paul Brown - Business Development Director
An entrepreneurial, Business Development professional with over 20 years experience in senior management and director roles. Particular expertise in Lease/Captive Finance programs for the broadcast, video and visual effects industry for software & hardware. Experience includes business as well as sales management, along with personal responsibility for delivering sales of up to £5m/year.
Vince Bull - Regional Director
After a number of years in the insurance industry, Vince held senior positions at Lombard Natwest and Singer & Friedlander Factors Ltd initially in asset finance but since 1994 has focussed on the Factoring and Invoice Discounting sector.
In 2000 he left Singers to establish Potential Finance Ltd as Sales Director with the company floating on the AIM market during 2000.
He left Potential to work with Phil Betts in 2003 and also holds a non executive role with Oriel Collections Ltd.
Peter Curtis - Director Business Development
Peter began his leasing career with 17 years at Barclays Mercantile which included a 2 year secondment to Price Waterhouse attached to a team that investigated European Corporate Fraud. He also lectured on the Finance and Leasing Association Examination courses.
After leaving the Barclays group to join Nikko Bank, Peter then had additional experience helping to set up the large ticket leasing team at a UK Building Society before joining a specialist IT lessors and arrangers Syscap and more latterly Capex, again with responsibility for their larger type of transactions.
Peter was appointed managing Director of Wright International Marine Finance in May 2007.
Chris Hammond - Managing Director BBA Leasing
Chris was in the Banking industry for over 20 years and held Senior Management positions at both Midland Bank and Scandinavian Bank. His responsibilities included the management of commercial business funding in Europe and corporate planning and marketing for International activities.
In 1985, he established The Hammond Partnership (THP) which specialises in strategic planning and marketing consultancy for the financial and insurance sectors. However, over the last few years THP has also built a reputation as the forerunner of business development for the legal professions.
Hugh Fleming - Company Secretary
Hugh provides compliance and company secretarial functions on a contracted-in basis. He has performed a similar role for over 15 years at the Columbus Financial Services Ltd group of companies, whose activities included private portfolio management, corporate finance, life and pensions and general insurance.
He was a Director of a number of companies involved in Travel and Insurance before joining Columbus in 1989, when Merchant House Group was formed.
James Holmes - Director
James has wide commercial experience as a director of private and small-cap public companies. He is chairman of AIM-quoted Europasia Education PLC and of Woodhall Group, the UK's largest location caterer. He is founder/Principal of Management International, a London based Business School aimed at emerging markets and a director of a number of private companies.
Peter Redmond - Director
Peter has over 20 years experience in corporate finance and venture capital, most recently with Durlacher Limited and has been a director of Merchant House Group since April 2003, becoming Chief Executive Officer earlier this year.
He is an experienced corporate financier with broad experience in IPOs, reverse takeovers, mergers and acquisitions and corporate reconstructions. Originally an investment analyst with Hoare Govett, he has subsequently managed or advised a wide range of public and private companies.
He is a director of a number of companies including Weatherly International Plc, Bella Media Plc, Fortfield Investments Plc, BWA Group Plc and Synigence Plc all of which are traded on AIM.
Barrie Sampson - General Manager - MHF Airfinance
Barrie has spent 33 years in the aviation industry primarily in the corporate jet sales market but also in the airliner and commuter liner sectors.
He has held senior positions with the manufacturers Bombardier, British Aerospace and Cessna marketing aircraft throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
He has also held management positions in the Alan Mann Group and Eagle Aircraft Services which provide distributor services in the UK market for several manufacturers including Beechcraft, Dassault, Dornier and Fairchild.
Nick Smith - Regional Director
After 12 years in domestic banking with Midland Bank (HSBC) in various City and West End branches, Nick spent 2 years running a branch of NWS, Bank of Scotlands HP/Lease Division. The next 18 years was spent with CFC Plc, where he specialised in funding assets for the printing and allied industries. He has an impressive client base and excellent contacts with most of the major print machine manufacturers.
Stuart Webster - Non-Executive Director
Stuart has spent over 40 years in banking, including assignments as General Manager and Group Chief Executive, for Chase Manhattan Bank and Chief Executive of Gulf Bank.
He is also Chairman of Industrial Investment Group Ltd.