September 2026 - Centeca

Centeca supports men’s mental health at inaugural Golf Day

16.09.26

Around 100 dealers, partners and colleagues attended Centeca’s first industry event under its new group identity.

Centeca brought together around 100 dealers, partners and colleagues for its inaugural Invitational Golf Day at The Belfry Hotel & Resort.

Held on Monday 14 September 2026, the event was Centeca’s first industry gathering since Evolution Funding Group introduced its new group identity.

Guests took to the renowned PGA National Course for a day focused on strengthening existing relationships, creating new connections and bringing people from across the automotive industry together with the wider Centeca team.

The event also raised £1,060 for the Stuart Elias Foundation after Centeca matched donations made by guests on the day.

The Foundation raises awareness of men’s mental health and suicide prevention within the golfing community, as well as funding training for mental health ambassadors in golf clubs across Lincolnshire. Its message, ‘You don’t have to tee off alone’, highlights the role golf can play in encouraging conversation, connection and support.

Duncan Josey, Chief Strategy Officer at Centeca, said:

“We were delighted to welcome so many dealers, partners and colleagues to our first industry event as Centeca.

“The day was about bringing together the people and relationships that sit behind our business, thanking our partners for their continued support and creating time for valuable conversations away from the usual working environment.

“We were also proud to support the Stuart Elias Foundation and help raise awareness of its important work within the golfing community.”

The event gave guests an opportunity to learn more about Centeca and how its brands work across automotive finance, retail technology and compliance.

Centeca strengthens AI capability with strategic appointment

01.09.26

The new senior role puts AI at the centre of Centeca’s next phase of product and platform development.

Centeca, a UK automotive fintech group operating across automotive finance, retail technology and compliance, has appointed its first Head of AI Strategy & Enablement.

The appointment places dedicated leadership behind the development and deployment of AI across the Group, which supports more than 5,500 transacting retailers and facilitates £6.5 billion in platform loan advances annually.

Oliver Northam takes on the newly created role with responsibility for shaping and delivering Centeca’s Group-wide AI strategy. The move builds on activity already underway and formalises Centeca’s approach to developing high-value AI applications with appropriate governance and security, alongside the regulatory controls required by its regulated businesses.

The appointment follows Centeca’s recent launch of a ChatGPT car-search app through its automotive retail technology brand, Click Dealer. Developed by its automotive finance platform, Evolution Funding, the app enables consumers to search more than 120,000 vehicles from independent UK retailers conversationally within ChatGPT before connecting directly with the supplying dealer.

The initiative is an early example of how Centeca is applying generative AI to create new customer experiences and commercial opportunities. It also demonstrates the potential to combine technology, data and market insight from across the Group to develop practical solutions at scale.
Northam moves into the position from his role as Head of Engineering at Evolution Funding. Since joining the business in 2022, he has played a central role in modernising its technology platform, progressing from Development Manager to Head of Engineering.

With more than 15 years’ experience in technology and engineering, Northam has led technical strategy, platform transformation and information security within regulated environments. His work at Evolution Funding has included the migration of complex legacy systems towards an event-driven architecture and the use of AI-assisted analysis to support the transformation of a ten-year-old technology estate.

Paul Saggar, Chief Innovation Officer at Centeca, said:

“AI is changing the way people discover products, interact with digital services and make financial decisions. For Centeca, this creates an opportunity to rethink parts of the automotive journey and develop services that would not previously have been possible.

“The Click Dealer ChatGPT app is an early example of that thinking, creating a new route for consumers to find vehicles and connect directly with independent retailers. But our ambitions extend well beyond a single application.

“Creating this role is a deliberate investment in Centeca’s future. Oli combines deep knowledge of our technology with the experience and judgement needed to give our AI activity clear direction and ensure it contributes meaningfully to the Group’s growth.”

Oliver Northam, Head of AI Strategy & Enablement at Centeca, said:

“I have been passionate about technology for as long as I can remember, and AI is the most significant chapter yet. We now have an opportunity to build on that early progress and make AI a dependable part of how products are developed and businesses operate.

“My priority is to create the foundations that allow good ideas to progress confidently: bringing the right people together, testing where the technology is genuinely useful and applying the standards needed for it to be trusted.

“Centeca has extensive technical knowledge, industry experience and data across the Group. I’m excited to bring those strengths together and help translate them into the next generation of services for our partners and customers.”