Judges revealed for NACFB Commercial Lender Awards 2026

The judging panel for the NACFB Commercial Lender Awards 2026 has now been confirmed. This year’s awards attracted a record-breaking 497 entries across 25 categories from the Association’s Patron lenders and Partner suppliers – representing a 16% increase in submissions and a 6% rise in participating firms compared with last year.  

The entries are now being assessed by a panel of industry experts, who will help determine this year’s winners and highly commended entries. 

This year’s full judging panel is:  

• Adam Tyler, CEO, Bridging & Development Lenders Association (BDLA) 

• Alex Waterman, Principal, Invoice Finance & Asset Based Lending, UK Finance 

• Andrew Robinson, CEO, FRP Real Estate Advisory 

• Aysha Fernandes, Director, Commercial Finance, UK Finance 

• Bob Lefroy, CEO, Business Money 

• Christian Roelofs, CEO, Finativ 

• Frazer Campbell, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer - Brickflow

• Gary Cain, Head of Business Services, Leonard Curtis 

• Haydn Thomas, CEO, Cornerstone Finance Group 

• Jake Horwood, Economic Research and Market Insights, British Business Bank 

• Jess Bird, Managing Editor, The Intermediary 

• John Kent, Managing Director, White Rose Finance 

• Julie Cuthbertson, Chief Funding Solutions Officer, WE ARE UMi 

• Kanya Paramaguru, Data Scientist & Economist, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) 

• Katrin Herrling, CEO and Co-founder, Funding Xchange 

• Kim McGinley, Director, VIBE Finance 

• Lee Tillcock, Managing Editor, Business Moneyfacts 

• Marc Champ, Managing Director, Wharf Financial 

• Matthew Davies, Director, Commercial Finance, UK Finance 

• Mike Conroy, Director, Commercial Finance, UK Finance 

• Mike Geddes, Legal & Compliance Director, AFS Group 

• Nazenin Kucukcan, Assistant Director, Department for Business and Trade (DBT) 

• Norman Chambers, Executive Relationship Director, Fiducia Commercial Network 

• Oliver Pollard, Associate Director, British Business Bank 

• Paul Hunt, Co-Founder, Square 1 Media 

• Paul Surtees, CEO & Co Founder, Capitalise 

• Rob Dermody, Director, PMD Business Finance 

• Robin Skuse, Editor, Broker World 

• Simon Moorcroft, Co-Founder and Director, Sorodo 

• Sonia Gola, Senior Policy Manager, Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) 

• Stefan Radymski, Director, Evolve Business Finance 

• Steve Olejnik, Founder, Dovecote Property Finance 

• Teresa Graham, Chair of the SME Advisory Group, UK Finance 

• Thomas Wilkinson, Director, Beta Commercial Finance 

• Wayne Gibbard, Partner, Shoosmiths 

The judges have been provided with guidance to ensure each submission is assessed fairly and independently. Each judge will assess between one and three categories, reviewing the relevant entries to help determine the shortlist for each award. 

Commenting on the judging process, NACFB CEO Jim Higginbotham said: “Our judges will be looking for clear evidence that entrants have met the specific criteria for each category. From sector champions to supplier partners, the awards recognise the breadth of talent, expertise and achievement across firms, teams and individuals. 

“Judging these awards is never an easy task, particularly given the record number of entries this year. We are incredibly grateful to our panel for the time, care and expertise they bring to the process, and for helping us recognise the outstanding work taking place across the industry.” 

To safeguard the integrity of the process, entries were anonymised wherever appropriate, with organisation-only categories judged anonymously, while categories featuring individuals or a combination of individuals and firms remained identifiable.  

Shortlisted entrants will be notified (under embargo) by email ahead of the public shortlist announcement in mid-October. NACFB Member brokers will then be invited to cast their votes, with each organisation able to submit a maximum of five votes per category to ensure a fair and balanced process. Voting will remain open for one week. 

The winners and highly commended in each category are determined based on the combined results of the judges’ selections and the Member votes. A formula is used to calculate the final results, blending judges’ scores with the industry vote.   

Awards ceremony and tickets  

Winners and highly commended entries will be revealed at a prestigious awards ceremony on the evening of Thursday 26th November 2026, held at London’s Westminster Park Plaza.  

Early bird tickets  are now available to NACFB Patron lenders and Partner suppliers until  5pm on Friday 30th October 2026  and are priced at  £425 +VAT  per person. Tables of ten are also available for purchase.    

After the early bird deadline, tickets for Patrons and Partners will increase to £465 +VAT per person. Depending on availability, a limited number of tickets will also be made available to non-NACFB Patrons and Partners, priced at £499 +VAT.    

All tickets include a welcome drink on arrival, a three-course meal, half a bottle of wine per person and entertainment. Full details of the celebration, including this year’s host, will be revealed soon.  

Sponsorship  

A limited number of sponsorship opportunities remain and those interested are asked to contact the events team for more information via events@nacfb.org.uk