Former V12 Vehicle Finance executive Ciara Raison has joined Oodle Car Finance as its chief commercial officer.

Holding chartered banker membership for some 20 years, viewed as the gold standard for professionals working in the banking sector, she had been part of the senior team behind the launch of V12 Vehicle Finance by Secure Trust Bank in 2019, prior to which she was head of sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance. Earlier in her career she held roles at RBS, NatWest and Aviva.

In 2021 she was named Business Leader of the Year at the Women in Credit Awards and won the same award at the Credit Strategy Leadership Awards in 2022. Raison was also a finalist for the UK auto industry's Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award in 2022.

In 2019 she was appointed as an ambassador for Everywoman - a network established to support women in business leadership.

Richard Gaskin, Oodle's chief executive, said: "We're excited to have Ciara onboard, bringing with her fantastic credentials and a valuable perspective. We are confident that her leadership will drive our business forward and deliver outstanding results.”

Raison said she was thrilled to become Oodle's chief commercial officer: "Oodle’s customer-centric ethos and forward-thinking approach resonates deeply with me. I look forward to contributing to the company's growth and success by prioritising our customers and partners."

In November Oodle revealed that as part of Oodle's drive to ensure fair outcomes for vulnerable customers, in line with Financial Conduct Authority requirements, it had selected AI-driven customer experience solutions from NICE, a US-based tech firm, to support Oodle's frontline contact centre agents with real-time guidance, ensuring fair treatment, and addressing regulatory compliance.