Azadian Group hired Ryan Heckman to head its new Chicago office. Heckman will take lead on business development efforts, along with servicing current clients in the Central U.S. and capitalizing on opportunities in the region.

A banking and commercial lending veteran, Heckman was most recently executive vice president at LQD Business Finance in Chicago. Prior to that, Heckman spent over 25 years in banking and commercial finance, including senior-level roles at Comerica Bank, National City Bank, LaSalle Bank and Fifth Third Bank.

“We are very excited to have Ryan on our team, spearheading our growth in Chicago and the Midwest region,” stated Raffi Azadian, CEO of Azadian. “Ryan’s multi-faceted background, well-rounded skill set, deep relationships and subject-matter expertise will be of great benefit as we work to break into and expand our business in this new territory.”

Founded in 2003, the New York-based Azadian Group provides short-term financing to small and medium businesses.