FOLK2FOLK appoints Head of Strategic Capital to expand institutional funding

FOLK2FOLK, the UK’s largest peer-to-peer business lending platform, has strengthened its focus on institutional funding with the appointment of Joanna Chan as Head of Strategic Capital.

The newly created role will focus on expanding the company’s institutional funding relationships and commercial partnerships, as FOLK2FOLK continues to broaden its funding base and engage with a wider range of capital providers.

The appointment reflects a growing emphasis on diversifying funding sources under CEO Kawai Chung, who joined the business in 2025.

Chan moves into the position from her previous role as Head of Portfolio, where she oversaw the management of FOLK2FOLK’s SME loan book and led the firm’s post-completion and recoveries teams.

During her six years with the business, she also played a key role in strengthening credit governance, serving on the company’s Senior Management Team, Credit Committee, and Risk and Audit Committee.

In her new role, Chan will lead institutional capital engagement and commercial partnerships to support the growth of secured lending to regional SMEs.

The appointment reflects FOLK2FOLK’s continued evolution, building on its established retail investor base while increasing its engagement with institutional capital.

Chan joined FOLK2FOLK in 2019 after building her career at BNP Paribas in London and Hong Kong where she specialised in credit strategy and trading across sovereign, corporate and high-yield markets, working closely with institutional investors and global trading teams.

She holds an MSc in Statistics from the University of Warwick and a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Bath.

Kawai Chung, Chief Executive Officer at FOLK2FOLK, said:

“Broadening our funding base through institutional partnerships is a core part of our evolution. Joanna will ensure we have the right structures, reporting and relationships to deploy capital into the real economy.

Her experience in credit markets and institutional relationships makes her ideally placed to lead our strategic capital initiatives as we continue to grow the business and expand our engagement with the wider investment community.”

Joanna Chan, Head of Strategic Capital at FOLK2FOLK, said:

“FOLK2FOLK has delivered over a decade of disciplined, property‑secured lending and proven investor outcomes.

My focus is to develop partnerships with institutional funders and like‑minded originators to help scale that success, while preserving the clarity and human approach that underpins how we work.”

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