Richard Bearman

Balancer
DISC Type : S

Chief Development Officer at British Business Bank

Sheffield, England, United Kingdom

Overview

Richard Bearman is the first Chief Development Officer at the British Business Bank, leveraging over 25 years of banking experience to support UK entrepreneurs. He leads business development and relationship management to simplify partners access to finance. Colleagues describe him as an astute, engaging, commercial, professional, and strategic leader with a passion for people development.

While no public information is available on his personal life, his professional focus reveals a deep-seated passion for supporting entrepreneurs and fostering the growth of small businesses across the United Kingdom.

Under his leadership, his previous business unit at HSBC was voted "Best Business Banking Provider" in the Smart Money People British Bank Awards.

Personality Overview

Diplomatic

Empathetic

Risk-Averse

They are comfortable taking long term decisions.  They are courteous and respectful but practical. They like following the process even if it takes time to reach any conclusion.

Topics They Care About

SME Financing
His career at HSBC and the British Business Bank has centered on leading small business lending, including the award-winning Start Up Loans programme.
UK Regional Growth
A key part of his role involves building the Bank's finance ecosystem across the UK's nations and regions to support local economic development.
Supporting Entrepreneurs
He has a publicly stated passion for helping entrepreneurs, creating pathways for them to access the capital and support needed to launch and scale their businesses.

Media Appearances

Why The Right Finance Matters - Richard Bearman, British Business Bank. Featured in Spotify

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How SMEs can unlock growth with Richard Bearman from the British Business Bank. Featured in YouTube

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Keep Your Boat Afloat in Covid‑19 Times: Richard Bearman, The British Business Bank. Featured in Spotify

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Work History

7-2025
Chief Development Officer at British Business Bank
11-2024 - 7-2025
Co-Chief Banking Officer at British Business Bank
5-2021 - 11-2024
Managing Director, Small Business Lending at British Business Bank
6-2019 - 5-2021
Managing Director, Start Up Loans at British Business Bank
5-2014 - 6-2019
Head of Small Business, HSBC UK at HSBC Commercial Banking

Education

1991 - 1994
BA (Hons) from Lancaster University
1986 - 1991
Education details unavailable from Bishops Stortford College

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 20 Location : Sheffield, England, United Kingdom Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Development Officer at British Business Bank
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Insights For Selling To Richard

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Be personal and polite and slightly formal
  • Unless they are the decision maker, bring other stakeholders into the process early
  • Share information about the process and how it would address all concerns

DONT's

  • Don’t try to be overly social in the early interactions
  • Skip mentioning details that are confusing
  • Do not sound very transactional, make extra effort to be genuinely interested

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Richard is

  • For them, low risk, acceptance by others and strong collaterals are most important.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Richard

  • They never refuse directly, they push out the decisions or just go quiet.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Richard move?

  • They can be some of the slowest decision makers.
  • Can Richard take some risk or not?

  • They have no risk-appetite and prefer to take safe decisions.

You And Richard

Personality Compatibility


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