Meet Lucie Abadi-Johns: Building Relationships and Growth in Commercial Finance

Since joining Fintelligent in November 2025, Lucie has played a key role in developing the business’ presence across Commercial Finance, bringing with her around five years’ experience recruiting across invoice finance, asset finance and asset-based lending.

From building a new desk from the ground up to securing major UK lenders as clients and achieving a personal record fee, Lucie has made a strong start to life at Fintelligent. We caught up with her to reflect on her experience so far, the relationships she has built, and her ambitions for the rest of 2026.

You’ve been with Fintelligent since November 2025 - how would you describe your time with the business so far?

My first few months at Fintelligent have been incredibly positive and rewarding. I joined the business in November 2025 with around five years’ experience recruiting within commercial finance, having worked across invoice finance, asset finance and asset-based lending since 2020.

One of the biggest opportunities for me has been the chance to build Fintelligent’s commercial finance desk from the ground up. Starting something from scratch naturally comes with challenges, but it has also been incredibly rewarding to see the desk develop and to begin building strong relationships with some of the UK’s leading lenders and finance businesses.

I have also really enjoyed the environment at Fintelligent. The culture is supportive, collaborative and motivating, and being surrounded by experienced consultants who specialise in their own markets means there is always something new to learn.

Everyone is willing to share ideas, offer advice and support each other, which made settling into the business incredibly easy and has helped me develop both personally and professionally.

What has been your biggest achievement or proudest moment since joining Fintelligent?

Without a doubt, building the commercial finance desk from the ground up and bringing several major lenders across the UK on board as clients has been one of my proudest achievements so far.

It has been particularly rewarding to see those initial conversations develop into strong relationships and consistent workflow. For me, the biggest satisfaction comes from knowing that I am building something with genuine long-term potential rather than simply taking over an established client base.

Another standout moment was securing the highest recruitment fee of my career to date. Managing to get the deal over the line on Christmas Eve made it even more memorable and was a brilliant way to finish my first few months with the business.

It was one of those moments that made all the hard work completely worthwhile.

How would you describe the market you work in, and what have you learned since joining Fintelligent?

Commercial finance is a highly relationship-driven market, which is one of the reasons I have enjoyed working within the sector for so long.

I recruit across invoice finance, asset finance and asset-based lending, supporting businesses with hires ranging from sales and business development positions through to senior management and director-level appointments.

Having worked within the sector since 2020, I already had a strong understanding of the market when I joined Fintelligent. What has been particularly valuable since joining has been the opportunity to broaden that knowledge further and work with an even wider range of lenders and finance businesses across the UK.

It is also an incredibly competitive market, particularly when recruiting for experienced or senior-level professionals. Finding the right person is not always straightforward, which is where genuine market knowledge, strong relationships and a detailed understanding of the client’s business become particularly important.

For me, successful recruitment is not simply about filling a vacancy. It is about understanding what a business is trying to achieve, what its team genuinely needs and identifying someone who can add long-term value.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2026, what are your personal goals at Fintelligent?

My main focus for the rest of 2026 is to continue growing Fintelligent’s commercial finance desk and building on the relationships I have established since joining.

I am particularly keen to develop some of my larger client relationships into retained partnerships. I have already built strong foundations with a number of businesses, so taking those relationships to the next level and becoming a trusted recruitment partner rather than simply a supplier is an important goal for me.

Ultimately, I want to continue expanding the desk, bringing on more high-quality clients and strengthening Fintelligent’s reputation within the commercial finance market.

For me, that comes down to maintaining the same approach from the beginning: understanding the market, building genuine relationships and delivering the right people, not simply CVs.

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your team or considering your next move within commercial finance, Fintelligent’s specialist recruiters can support you with market-led insight and a relationship-driven approach.

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