Social purpose FinTech Salad Group has appointed former Klarna UK boss Alex Marsh as its new CEO.
Marsh, who has been brought in to drive the London-based firm’s next phase of growth and impact, joined Salad in 2023 as a non-executive director before becoming chair of its finance board.
At Klarna, he progressed from UK CFO to UK CEO as it became the largest FinTech startup in Europe, helping to steer the business as it shaped Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) regulation.
In his new role, he will oversee, align and scale the company’s core propositions in Salad Finance – the personal loans business which holds the CDFI status – and Salad Technologies – the group’s proprietary technology platform with the Open Banking (RAISP) licence.
His focus also includes new ventures within Salad Affinity, diversifying the lending product portfolio, developing new services focused on credit-building and assessing market opportunities beyond the UK.
Since issuing its first loan in 2019, the company has grown to issue over £200 million in loans to more than 150,000 customers.
The business, which has been acknowledged by government bodies, the FCA and major banks for its role in improving consumer credit practices, is now using machine learning and AI to enhance its underwriting processes and identify customers who may need additional support.
Under the new group structure, Tim Rooney will continue as CEO of Salad Finance to drive forward the product development and growth trajectory of regulated personal loans business.
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“My passion for Salad’s mission has only deepened over the last two years,” said Marsh.
“We’re not just providing one-off access to finance; we’re using long-overdue technological innovation to genuinely improve the financial health of consumers locked out of mainstream financial services.
“The millions struggling to access affordable credit is a crisis that’s only getting worse. It’s time to recognise the immense economic value in bringing them back into the financial system, and I’m thrilled to lead Salad Group in meeting this critical demand.”
Alan Campbell, chair of Salad Group, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Alex in his new role.
“Not only does he bring with him unrivalled expertise of the consumer credit market but deep experience of helping technology-led businesses scale at pace and a genuine passion for supporting consumers underserved by mainstream providers.
“His vision and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to scale origination and diversify our proposition to ensure that, at a time when household finances have never been more stretched, consumers can access the products and services they so desperately need and deserve.”