DAVID FOSTER, Managing director, Anglo Scottish Asset Finance
Did you grow up in the North East or did you decide to relocate here in later life?
I was born and bred in Durham. In fact’ I have never lived outside of a DH postcode and have no intention to. Anglo Scottish operates at a national level and I regularly travel for work but there is nowhere else I would rather call home.
What is your favourite aspect of life in the North East?
The work life balance. It takes me ten minutes to get to and from the office and within minutes of arriving home’ I can be changed and ready to leave for a game of golf or 5-A-Side football. We have a team at our Durham office that gets together every week to play football after work’ that in itself shows the fantastic fluidity that life in the North East offers. The least desirable thing I can imagine is a two-hour commute home on a winter evening and only being able to enjoy the great outdoors on the weekend.
What is the best view in the North East?
I am an avid golfer and’ having toured all the main courses throughout the North East’ I feel well informed to advise that the best view I have laid my eyes on in our region can be found at Bamburgh golf course. As someone who enjoys a healthy dose of competition’ it takes a lot to derail my focus but’ and anyone who has played here can attest’ the view at hole four of Cheviot in the distance and Budle Bay to the right’ is enough to stop anyone in their tracks.
What do you think it means to be a business person in the North East of England?
Throughout my years working in the North East – particularly as managing director at Anglo Scottish – I continue to be proven right about the resilience’ support and opportunity within our region’s business community. Anglo Scottish has operated since 2005 and the culture we have built is something I am extremely proud of. Just the other day’ I was looking at a stock image from 2013 and out of the near 40 employees pictured’ there is only one person that has left due to retirement. That for me’ is true success. Having recently merged with Birminghambased Capex UK’ bringing both businesses under the Anglo Scottish banner’ a priority was to emulate the culture and camaraderie we have achieved in the North East. For many companies experiencing exponential growth’ one of the main challenges is to not lose the heart and soul of the business. As we continue to expand’ my driver is to fly the flag for North East industry and the people working within it’ for they are exemplars of what is means to do good business.
What is next for Anglo Scottish?
We have set our growth strategy for the next five years and it is extremely ambitious’ but achievable given our national foothold and dedicated team. We are committed to growing our product portfolio including asset finance’ motor finance and’ in particular’ prestige car finance’ which we are launching this month.
We are able to offer finance for a range of prestige cars’ starting with those in the £25’000 to £100’000 range’ for example BMW’ Mercedes and Range Rovers. We also cover higher value cars such as Lamborghini Hurricane’ Ferrari’ Porsche and supercars such as Lamborghini Urus and Laferrari. In addition’ we offer finance and equity release on classic cars’ such as the quintessential British motor that is synonymous with James Bond’ the Aston Martin. Our highly qualified team aims to make the process as streamlined and easy as possible’ meaning we do all the hard work and our customers can enjoy driving around in style.
