In conversation with... James Standing

What was your journey to your role today, would you say it’s been a typical career path?

Not a typical career path, I spent 10 years at a car manufacturer, running various sales and marketing roles, before moving to automotive tech and finance at Autotrader where I’ve been now for 8 years.

If you weren’t working in credit and financial services, what would you be doing?

I’d be running a CrossFit gym in Cornwall. :-)

What is something that not many people know about you?

I’m the oldest of 8 siblings.

What is the most significant challenge facing the credit/financial services industry today?

Managing the challenges of the redress scheme and the operational challenges being put on lenders and brokers I would say is the biggest challenge currently, closely followed by EV residual values.

Which session or theme at Credit Week are you most looking forward to, and why?

I’m looking forward to seeing some of the auto finance content.

What trend or development are you excited about in the credit / financial services sector?

The way AI can make journeys easier, faster and simpler I’m very excited by, making our industry perform even better.

What do you hope to take away from Credit Week 2026?

Networking across the sector.

What advice would you give to someone who’s starting their career in the industry?

I would say that its a very social industry, being outspoken I would say is really key to developing in this area.

Join James at Credit Week 2026!