John Phillipou is Paragon Bank Managing Director of SME Lending and has recently taken over as Chair of the FLA.

His finance industry experience started 30 years ago in a branch of NWS Bank and progressed through roles at the Captive, JCB Finance and then internationally with Citicapital and Deutsche Leasing Group, where he was Managing Director of the international division.

These experiences have given him detailed insights into the various types of lenders in the industry, together with the many routes to market models lenders operate for both regulated, non-regulated B2C and B2B transactions.

Previously he has chaired the Asset Finance Division of the FLA and been the UK representative at Leaseurope on behalf of the industry.