Freedom Finance, one of the UK’s leading digital lending marketplaces and embedded finance providers, has appointed Richard Parfitt as Head of Data Science.
Following this appointment, Richard will lead Freedom Finance’s data products initiative, building and managing a multi-disciplinary team to develop new services for customers and enhance data-driven capabilities driving further automation and intelligence.
In this new role, Richard will use Freedom Finance’s vast data resources to develop new services that help customers save money and access the best available financial services products, as well as improve their creditworthiness.
Freedom Finance’s current technology is integrated across brands like Argos, ASDA Money, Co-op Bank, Creation and The Very Group. In his new role, Richard and his team will work with Freedom Finance’s partners to create a suite of packaged data services that enhance the embedded finance services available and the group’s D2C consumer finance platform.
Richard joins Freedom Finance after 8 years at 118 118 Money where he was most recently Head of Decision Science. Prior to this, he worked at Citibank Diners Club, Business & Decision, British Gas & The Royal Mint. Through his 25-year data science career, Richard has built a passion for the careful use of data in making business decisions.
Freedom Finance is at an exciting stage of its growth journey following fresh investment from Pollen Street Capital to continue the development of this proposition and the 2022 appointment of Emma Steeley as CEO.
Richard Parfitt, Head of Data Science at Freedom Finance, commented: “I am delighted to be joining Freedom Finance at an exciting time for the business. Nick and his team are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and I am looking forward to working with him to make the most of the business’ opportunities in open banking and its extensive existing data resources.”
Nick Allen, Chief Technology Officer at Freedom Finance, said: “I am pleased to be bringing Richard’s extensive experience in capitalising on data capabilities to Freedom Finance. Improvements in the use and quality of data across the industry mean that technology focused businesses, like Freedom Finance and our partners, are able to provide borrowers with the most appropriate credit solutions available to them.”