Derek Ellington Joins Uplinq Financial Technologies as Strategic Advisor

Derek Ellington, a renowned name in financial services, has been appointed as a strategic advisor at Uplinq Financial Technologies. Uplinq is the pioneer of a global platform providing credit decisioning support for small business lenders.

Ellington’s Role at Uplinq

In his new role, Ellington will work with both current and prospective Uplinq clients, in addition to collaborating with the internal team. His main objectives will be to advance Uplinq’s mission of broadening access to fair and ethical credit for small businesses around the world. This appointment marks a significant development for Uplinq, as it continues to grow and strengthen its position in the small business banking sector.

Ellington will guide Uplinq’s current clients as they transition through the proof of concept phase and start to incorporate Uplinq’s technology into their lending practices. Furthermore, he will leverage his broad network to introduce potential clients to Uplinq’s innovative technology. He will also provide direction to the Uplinq team regarding product development and help navigate the swiftly changing regulatory landscape of small business lending.

Ellington’s Insights on Small Business Lending

Reflecting on his career in financial services, Ellington highlighted the importance of better systems to make small business lending more accessible and equitable, a need that became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also keen on assisting Uplinq in managing the current and future regulatory environment, considering the changes to the CFPB’s 1071 Rule that prioritizes fair access to credit.

Ellington’s Extensive Experience

Ellington brings to Uplinq three decades of industry experience, having worked extensively with small businesses throughout his career. He previously served as executive vice president and head of Small Business Banking at Wells Fargo, where he led the bank’s mission to help small businesses prosper financially. Earlier in his career, he held several leadership positions at Bank of America.

Uplinq CEO Ron Benegbi expressed his excitement over welcoming Ellington as a strategic advisor, citing his strategic counsel and passion for the mission as invaluable assets in Uplinq’s growth and its effort to expand access to working capital for entrepreneurs worldwide.