Ali Bligh joined Star Hill Financial, a certified Women Business Enterprise based in Fairfield, CT, as senior vice president of credit for the firm’s franchise division. In this role, Bligh will support the underwriting of franchise transactions for the quick service restaurant industry, working with Star Hill’s sales and operations teams to help drive further growth.
“We are very excited to have Ali join the franchise division,” Keith Smith, president of equipment and franchise finance at Star Hill Financial, said. “She brings a tremendous amount of experience underwriting and structuring franchise transactions.”
Bligh joined Star Hill from Bridge Funding Group, a division of Bank United, where she spent the past seven years underwriting franchise transactions. Prior to Bridge Funding, Bligh worked in credit and workout functions for GE Capital, Citigroup and Bank One.
“After 19 long COVID months, I am excited to join the Star Hill team and get back to doing what I love: helping franchisees nurture and grow their businesses,” Bligh said.
“Ali is a great cultural fit for Star Hill,” Hollis Bufferd, CEO of Star Hill Financial, said. “She has deep experience working with several of our team members and has demonstrated a unique ability as an underwriter to build bridges between the sales team and the credit to support customer growth.”
