Rich Pearce – Engineering Director at iwoca
Rich Pearce is currently serving as the Engineering Director at iwoca, a prominent UK-based fintech company specializing in providing flexible digital loans and payment solutions primarily to European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He is based in Reigate, England, United Kingdom, and is connected with over 500 professionals on LinkedIn, indicating a strong professional network relevant to the fintech and technology sectors.
Professional Role and Responsibilities
As Engineering Director, Rich Pearce leads the engineering function at iwoca, overseeing technology strategy and execution to support the company’s core business of SME lending. He is directly involved in managing credit decisioning systems, as evidenced by iwoca’s implementation of advanced platforms like Chalk for credit decision automation. His role likely involves collaborating across technical and business teams to optimize technology solutions that facilitate rapid, data-driven lending decision processes.
Company Context – iwoca
Iwoca is a rapidly growing fintech lender in the UK and Germany, targeting the SME market with the objective of providing financing to one million small businesses. The company has recently experienced significant financial growth:
- In 2024, iwoca’s revenue jumped by nearly £100 million, with profits nearly tripling as loans issued approached £1 billion.
- By late 2025, iwoca had provided approximately £1.3 billion of funding to UK SMEs, which corresponded to an economic impact supporting £2.8 billion in gross value added (GVA) and facilitating 50,000 jobs.
- Over the last two years, iwoca has raised a substantial £740 million in debt financing from major financial partners such as Citi, Barclays, and Värde, underscoring strong investor confidence.
Iwoca is actively scaling its operations, including plans to move to a bespoke London campus in Stratford by mid-2026, signaling growth and increased capacity in its engineering and broader organizational capabilities.
Professional Qualifications and Skills
- Certified Scrum Master (Scrum Alliance), certification valid from April 2011 to May 2021, reflecting strong expertise in agile project management and software development methodologies.
- Holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, indicating proficiency in process improvement and operational excellence methodologies.
- Educated at The Open University (2005–2010), which supports his technology leadership foundation.
Professional Attributes and Recommendations
Colleagues and collaborators highlight Rich Pearce’s:
- Objective, data-driven decision-making ability, essential for leadership in technical and product development environments.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, capable of engaging effectively at all organizational levels, including executive leadership.
- Passion for technology and delivering value, contributing significantly to organizational learning and development.
- Proficiency in complex software engineering challenges, including machine learning, distributed systems, and state-of-the-art engineering practices.
Industry and Market Insight
Iwoca operates in an evolving fintech landscape supporting European SMEs, a sector facing challenges such as economic uncertainty and the need for digital innovation in financial services. The company’s use of alternative and digital data for risk assessment and credit decisioning aligns with industry trends toward faster, more inclusive SME financing solutions. This context places Rich Pearce at the forefront of fintech innovation, particularly in engineering scalable and intelligent lending platforms that handle complex data streams effectively.
This profile positions Rich Pearce as a highly experienced engineering leader embedded deeply within a fintech firm that has demonstrated robust growth and innovation in SME lending. His blend of technical, operational, and leadership skills, combined with iwoca’s expanding market presence and financial strength, underscores his strategic importance in driving technology-enabled business performance and growth.
