SouthStar Capital appointed Sally J. Stark as portfolio manager and Scott Norris as senior business development officer. These role changes bring decades of factoring and asset-based lending experience to the company’s portfolio management and business development efforts.
As portfolio manager, Stark will apply her extensive background in credit policy, operations and client relationship management to support SouthStar’s portfolio and help clients navigate their working capital needs.
Stark began her factoring career in 1990 as an assistant controller for a factoring company in Houston, Texas. Over the past 36 years, she has held positions including account executive, credit manager and chief operating officer, developing broad expertise in factoring and asset-based lending operations.
Throughout her career, Stark has managed several start-up factoring companies and helped establish the credit policies and operating procedures needed to support their growth. She founded Sierra Capital in 2001 to serve smaller entrepreneurs in New York’s Hudson Valley and Albany regions. Her subsequent work supporting emerging factoring firms led to the formation of Berkshire Funding Group, drawing on her experience in business operations, finance and marketing.
Stark’s industry leadership includes six years as chairperson of the Houston Area Factors Association, service on the board of directors of the International Factoring Association, and participation as a founding board member of the Hudson Valley Women Business Owners Association. She has also spoken before business organizations, economic development groups and bank loan committees, and served as a panelist at multiple International Factoring Association conferences.
Norris transitions to senior business development officer after joining SouthStar Capital in August 2022 as vice president, portfolio manager. In his new role, he will focus on developing financing opportunities, strengthening referral relationships and connecting businesses with working capital solutions that support their growth.
During his tenure in portfolio management, Norris has overseen portfolio-wide risk management, evaluated funding modification requests and worked closely with operations and underwriting to support established and emerging client relationships. His experience assessing complex financing needs will inform his work with prospective clients and referral partners.
Before joining SouthStar, Norris served as a portfolio manager at Paragon Financial Group, an eCapital portfolio company. He brings more than 15 years of experience in invoice factoring and structured finance, with a track record of managing complex portfolios across diverse economic cycles. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with a concentration in business management.
