Alternative & Receivables Finance Forum

Treasury Policy Chair

Tony Baron started his career as a Government Information Officer. He then worked for many years as a City economist. He became a partner in a major UK stock-broking firm and has held senior management positions in a number of international investment banks. For the past 20 years Tony has pursued various business interests as a serial entrepreneur with interests ranging from a small securities firm to a holiday park. He continues to act as an economic consultant.

Partner and Head of Banking and Finance, Francis Wilks & Jones Solicitors

Andrew is a Partner in our Litigation and Dispute Resolution team and Head of our Banking and Finance department. Andrew is a litigation and civil fraud specialist who has over 20 years’ experience of advising banks, asset based lenders and other financial institutions on all issues relating to their current, prospective and former clients, including security and facility documentation, policies and procedures and recoveries processes.

Executive Chairman, Banco BNI Europa

Pedro is an innovative, agile and multi-award winning banking leader with over 25 years' international financial services experience with leading blue-chip institutions across three continents in progressive leadership roles, both executive and NED, in Investment Banking, Wealth Management, general management, business development, strategy and latterly in FinTech.

Founder and Chairman, Kompli-Global

As a victim of significant orporate fraud in 2014 (the perpetrators have just been jailed), John Davies, Founder and Chairman of Kompli-Global PLC, was motivated to build a business that exposed potential wrongdoing of corporates and their officers that is simply not easily identifiable with the naked or untrained eye. The insight reports provided by Kompli-Global are commissioned by Magic Circle Law Firms, award-winning corporate advisors and compliance teams globally to help them combat financial crime. He is also heavily involved in a wide range of industry initiatives and is Chairman of the Association of Alternative Business Finance. For example, during the Covid-19 crisis he was asked to join a panel of sector experts, that included the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, for Q&A sessions organised for a wide range of parliamentarians by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking. Topics discussed included the CBILS/BBLS and post-Covid recovery. John is also a member of the CBI’s SME Council and a member of the Financial Ombudsman SME Advisory Group.

Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, Hokodo

Mai is the Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at Hokodo, leading the commercial effort with platform partners and marketplaces.

Hokodo is one of the fastest growing fintech companies (straddling France and the UK) and the world’s first dedicated provider of commercial “Insurance-as-a-Service”. Hokodo revolutionises financial services, making them simple and accessible to the many small businesses (SMEs) left behind by today’s industries.

Hokodo is backed by the VC fund Anthemis. Hokodo Services Ltd is a coverholder at Lloyd’s and the insurance products underwritten and distributed by Hokodo are backed by the Channel Syndicate, a unit of SCOR global P&C.

Previously, Mai worked for 12 years in Mergers & Acquisitions and Capital Markets at BNP Paribas, in Paris and Hong Kong, where she developed a taste for new technologies, insurance and SMEs problem-solving

CEO/ Founder, Purely Capital

A prolific film producer and financier investing more than US$300m across 125+ independent feature films.

As a leading expert in independent film financing from rights acquisition to structuring, managing and concluding multi-party legal and financial closings, Wayne built a stellar reputation as a problem solver and fixing distressed situations.

In August 2018, Wayne founded Purely Capital - a supply-chain platform that automates and streamlines the acceleration of contracted entertainment receivables alongside a smart contract collection manager, built using distributed ledger technology and providing real time transparency and payments for all project stakeholders.

Independent Trade and Trade Finance Economist; Founder, Rebeccanomics; Senior Fellow, British Foreign Policy Group

Dr Rebecca Harding is a Senior Fellow of the British Foreign Policy Group and an independent trade economist, public speaker and sustainable trade and supply chain specialist. In 2022, she was awarded the Net Zero Entrepreneur of the Year at the annual Scale Up Group’s Enterprise Awards event. She has built three data-based technology businesses in the trade and sustainability space and held senior positions at Deloitte, London Business School, the Work Foundation, and UK Finance, where she was Chief Economist. She acted as Specialist Adviser to the Treasury Select Committee and advised the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Entrepreneurship. She has acted as a trade finance and supply chains expert witness, is a member of the World Trade Board, the ITFA’s ESG Committee and the ICC’s sustainable trade finance technology sub-committee. Between 2004 and 2018, she was a Director and Trustee of the German-British Forum.

Her co-authored books, The Weaponization of Trade: the Great Unbalancing of Politics and Economics and Gaming Trade: Win-Win Strategies for the Digital Era have defined the trade-based nature of modern conflict. She provided the business case for the adoption into UK law the framework to enable digital trade; her work on the ‘regulatory paradox’ of current sustainability reporting requirements has catalysed the establishment of the ITFA’s cross-industry Audit Council to set sustainability reporting and audit standards. She has authored 8 other books on the German economy, global innovation policy, and SME financing and venture capital. Her high media profile includes frequent appearances on BBC television and radio, Sky News, CNBC, and Times Radio, as well as citations in the broadsheet media.

Founder, Funding Xchange

Katrin co-founded FUNDING XCHANGE (FXE) setting out to disrupt the inefficient SME funding space by creating the first UK marketplace for businesses to easily access bank and non-bank funding solutions in one place. FXE launched in 2015, announced an exclusive partnership with KMPG Small Business Accounting in October 2015, and was designated as an official finance referral platform by the British Government in November 2016. Today, Funding Xchange is working with nine UK banks as well as providing business funding solutions through MoneySuperMarket. Before founding FUNDING XCHANGE, Katrin spent seven years at Bain & Company, working closely with banks and other financial services institutions across Europe. Prior to joining Bain, Katrin led American Express’ strategy and business development team in London.

CEO, Investly

Mr Hughes has over 25 years’ international financial services experience with leading banks and private global companies across four continents. Prior to joining Investly Wayne has held senior roles with leading alternative financiers such as COO of Demica Working Capital and led receivable financing programmes for Bibby Financial services and other global corporates. Prior to this Mr Hughes worked with the Hedge Fund industry in the US and Europe developing new businesses and innovative products for institutional investors and multi-billion Working Capital facilities for Fund of Hedge Funds.

CTO, Formely at Microsoft FS

Aman Kohli is CTO for Microsoft Services’ Financial Services and Insurance practice. He's a passionate technologist and comes from leading the architecture of the Innovation Labs of a Tier 1 Full Service Bank. He has interests in Fintech, Digital Banking and Decentralised Distributed Computing. He has spent the last number of years working in the Bank's Office of the CTO, focused on mobile and disruptive technologies like Blockchain, API as well as defining routes to the introduction of PSD2. He also chaired the technical working group of the Fintech and Payments Association Ireland (FPAI). Prior to joining the Bank he worked in the FSI practice for HP Enterprise Services where his main focus was on Front Office Cash trading systems. And his professional journey began with IONA Technologies, a distributed systems and integration, software technology company.

Technology Lawyer & Partner, Pinsent Masons

Angus is an experienced technology lawyer advising on a range of sourcing and contracting matters, with a particular focus on data assets and emerging technologies. He regularly advises clients within regulated industries, in particular the financial services industry, to deliver on strategic cross-border projects. Angus has particular expertise in relation to payments and the related regulatory framework. In relation to this, he has worked with both suppliers and customers, and engaged with regulators, on a number of high-profile transactions. Angus regularly writes and speaks at industry events on sourcing, data protection and payments.

CTO, Match Place

Information Technology expert with over 20 years of experience in Investment Banking and Capital Markets. Previously team leader and program manager on Front Office IT systems in a recognised French investment bank. Was responsible for development and business analysis, and the delivery of efficient technology enabled organisations and customers-centric systems. Interested in the application of new technologies to update outdated business models.

CEO, Tinubu Square

After 10 years’ experience in the Audit Department at Arthur Andersen and Renault S.A and Finance Department at Paribas Group, Jérôme joined Euler-Hermes. At the time, Euler only operated as a credit insurer in France and focused on domestic risk. For 10 years Jérôme played a leading role within the Euler-Hermes Group developing both its international risk expertise and its international network. He was closely involved in many of the organization’s international acquisitions and openings. Jérôme held a number of leading management positions including Head of Risk in Sfac, Director Commercial and Strategy of Euler-Sfac, Chief Operating Officer of Euler-Cobac Benelux, Director Risk U/W of Euler Trade Indemnity, Chairman of Euler Risk Asia and Chairman of Group Country Risk Committee. Jérôme left Euler-Hermes in 2001 to found Tinubu Square and lead the company as CEO. As Senior Advisor for Morgan Stanley, during the last decade, Jérôme had been involved in number of M&A or equity restructuring projects, including completed operations, relating to well-established private credit insurers and ECA’s.  Jérôme graduated with a Master’s Degree from both the Stanford Business School and the ESC Reims in France, and graduated with the French Highest Military Academy (IHEDN).  Jérôme serves in the French Military Operational Reserve (Advisor, Chief of Staff Dept.) and as Advisor for International Trade (‘’Conseiller du Commerce Extérieur de la France’’, Member of the ‘’Commission de l’Intelligence Economique’’). 

Partner, Head of FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fox Williams LLP

Jonathan is a partner in Fox Williams’ corporate and technology teams who specialises in FinTech and Alternative Finance. He advises clients across the FinTech and AltFi spectrum, from start-ups disrupting existing markets with innovative technology to financial institutions looking to invest in new technology. Jonathan has particular expertise in peer-to-peer and crowdfunding platforms, drawing on his extensive experience in the banking and finance sector. A regular speaker at industry events both at home and abroad, Jonathan is also heavily involved in next generation disruptive financial products such as virtual currencies, blockchain technology and the use of Big Data in financial predictive analytics and disruptive insurance models. He recently co-authored the UK chapter of Chambers first Global Practice Guide for FinTech. The 2018 guide provides expert legal commentary on key issues for businesses and covers the important developments in the most significant jurisdictions. “Astute, commercial and extremely effective, practice head Jonathan Segal is a fintech guru.” (Legal 500, 2017)

CEO and Co-Founder, Lendflo

Chris is the CEO and co-founder of Lendflo, a new digital invoice financing platform that harnesses the power of Blockchain technology. Lendflo's platform enables small businesses to access liquidity by using their unpaid invoices as collateral in loan agreements through a process of tokenisation. Prior to Lendflo he worked as a digital consultant in financial services leading product development of new digital initiatives in several UK major banks and FS providers as well as holding positions at Arthur D Little and Wood Mackenzie in corporate advisory. Chris graduated with a 1st class degree in Design and Manufacturing Engineering at Nottingham University and holds a MSc in International Business.

CEO, Liberis

Rob is a leading financial services expert, and CEO at Liberis, an embedded finance solution and platform. Rob has a wealth of experience from his roles at various SME-focused finance providers, such as Everline and Newable Business Finance, as well as senior level positions at Wonga, and in the J.P Morgan technology investment banking team in both London and San Francisco.

Founder & CEO, AltFi Data

Rupert Taylor is the founder and CEO of AltFi Data. AltFi Data has established standards to enable consistent analysis of lending track record. Reliable, like for like comparable, performance metrics allow investors to create efficiencies across the investment process and enable originators to broaden their access to capital. Prior to founding AltFi Data in 2013, Rupert spent 13 years working in investment banking across institutional equities and proprietary trading. His experience in trading a range of asset classes, together with extensive experience of angel investment, gives him an excellent insight into the importance of meaningful data to the development of an asset class.

Managing Director UK & Benelux, Spotcap

Niels Turfboer is the Managing Director of Spotcap and has over 20 years of experience working in financial services. After time at ABN AMRO and ING, he founded and grew an education business, going on to join MarketInvoice as Head of Investor Development. Today, in addition to leading the revolution in fintech with Spotcap, he is on the advisory board of Fiduciam and Alterest Investment Technologies. Niels has an MBA from IE in Madrid, with a specialisation in strategy and finance at the Leonard N Stern School of Business, New York University.