Karle takes the helm at BCRS loan fund
Stephen Karle has stepped into the role of chairman at the Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS) Small Business Loan Fund.
Karle, the former chief executive of the West Bromwich Building Society, was elected to the board at the organisation's annual general meeting.
He replaces Charles F Hanmer of Kingswinford based company Charles Design & Marketing, who held the post of chairman for four years.
BCRS, which currently operates in the Black Country and Staffordshire, also runs the Walsall, Sandwell and Staffordshire business loan funds in conjunction with local authorities.
It also plans to expand into Shropshire to create more local loan funds and was recently part of a national bid for £60m of funding through the government's Regional Growth Fund.
Karle said: "I am delighted to join BCRS at such an exciting stage of its development. By working closely with the banks, financial intermediaries and business support professionals, as well as local and national government, we can deliver the loan finance that smaller businesses are crying out for.
"By backing enterprising and innovative businesses to create wealth we plan to play an important role in the areas economic regeneration by encouraging job creation and increased revenues, just what the country needs."
