Rob Straathof

Rob Straathof is CEO of Liberis, a leading UK alternative finance provider providing simple, flexible and transparent funding to help SMEs achieve their ambitions. His current responsibilities include the leadership and management of the company, with a focus on honing its products to offer fairly priced, flexible finance for SMEs - always delivered responsibly. Straathof is a leading financial services expert, with experience built from a range of SME-focused finance providers; including Director roles at Everline, the UK’s first digital SME lender, and at Newable BusinessFinance, a HMRC-appointed responsible finance provider backed by the British Business Bank. Rob has also held senior-level positions at Wonga, and in the J.P Morgan technology investment banking team in both London and San Francisco. Originally from the Netherlands, he holds a Master of Science in Economics from Erasmus University and started his career as a co-founder at one of Rotterdam’s first online B2B lunch caterers. Straathof’s extensive commercial experience will support Liberis’ ambition to further empower small businesses, broadening customer reach through strategic partnerships and international expansion. Backed by the UK Government owned British Business Bank, Liberis is part of Blenheim Chalcot, the UK’s leading venture builder. The company has already supported over 24,000 UK jobs to date by advancing over £200m to over 6,000 companies.