LONDON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Online lending platform Funding Circle has named Lisa Jacobs, the head of its British business, to succeed Samir Desai as chief executive from Jan. 1.

Desai will take on a new role as non-executive director, the company said on Thursday, having run the platform for the past 12 years.

Funding Circle, which began as a peer-to-peer lender, also said that it made an operating profit of 35.5 million pounds ($48.85 million)in the first half of the year. ($1 = 0.7267 pounds) (Reporting by Lawrence White Editing by David Goodman)