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At UMi, we’re powered by people who care deeply about helping businesses move forward with confidence. In this Spotlight, we’re getting to know Julie Cuthbertson, Chief Funding Solutions Officer at UMi and the person leading our Get Funding service.
What is your role at UMi
I’m the Chief Funding Solutions Officer at UMi, leading our Get Funding service and the brilliant team behind it. My focus is on making it easier for businesses to understand their funding options and move forward with clarity and confidence.
Tell me about your career to date
I’ve spent 22 years working in banking and corporate finance, supporting businesses across a wide range of sectors to access the funding, insight and financial structure they need to grow. That experience, working closely with lenders, advisers and partners has given me a deep understanding of the challenges businesses face when navigating the funding landscape. I brought that knowledge with me when I joined the executive team at UMi, where I’m focused on shaping services that are practical, impartial and genuinely useful for the businesses we support.
What does your current role involve.
My role centres on leading the strategy, development and delivery of UMi Get Funding. That includes supporting the team, strengthening our partnerships, ensuring the quality and consistency of our service, and continually evolving how we help businesses access the right finance. A big part of my work is staying close to the market and listening, to businesses, partners and our own advisers, so we can keep improving and responding to what’s needed
What makes UMi Get Funding different?
What really sets us apart is the way we simplify what can often feel like an overwhelming and opaque process. Too many businesses struggle to make sense of the funding landscape, the jargon, the criteria, the uncertainty around what “ready” looks like. Our role is to remove that noise.
We focus on funding readiness and investor readiness from the outset, helping businesses understand what information matters, how to present their story, and what steps will strengthen their position. We take a holistic view of the business, not just the transaction, so the support we give is grounded in their wider goals and context.
And importantly, we “hide the wiring”. Businesses don’t need to grapple with the complexity behind the scenes, the lender requirements, investor expectations, structuring considerations or the nuances of different funding routes. We translate all of that into clear, relevant guidance and practical next steps, whether the right solution sits with a commercial lender, an investor or through alternative business support. And because we take a one‑front‑door approach, we don’t stop at the finance. If a business would benefit from wider public‑sector or non‑commercial support - grants, programmes, advice or specialist expertise - we make those introductions too. By filtering out what isn’t relevant and focusing on what will genuinely move the business forward, we help them progress with confidence rather than confusion.
With a broad lender and investor network, experienced advisers and a service built around clarity, readiness and momentum, we help businesses access the right funding at the right time - and connect them to the wider support that helps them make the most of it, all with far less stress.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
I love being outdoors - long walks, fresh air and a bit of space to reset. I’m also a big fan of cold‑water dips, which are a brilliant way to clear the head and feel grounded. Most of my time outside work is spent with my husband Steven, our son Ben, and our ever‑growing collection of cats and dogs, who keep life lively and full of personality. Exploring new places and making the most of those moments that help you switch off after a busy week is really important to me.
And finally, leave us with one interesting fact about yourself…
I’m not sure it counts as an interesting fact, but cold‑water dipping is genuinely what keeps me on track - a sunrise solstice dip started as a one‑off challenge and has somehow become a non‑negotiable in my calendar.