Dublin-headquartered invoice financier Accelerated Payments has appointed Steve Box as its new chair.

Box has held several senior executive roles in the past, including as head of Europe for Falcon Group, CEO of Bibby Financial Services and global head of receivables finance at HSBC.

With over 35 years of experience in banking and invoice financing and working with SMEs, Box currently holds the position of strategic advisor to a number of related institutions, including the World of Open Account, Stenn International, Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance and Channel Capital Advisors. He also set up his own business, Kata Executive Consultants, of which he is the managing director, at the end of last year.

Accelerated Payments, founded in 2017, has seen “heightened demand from customers looking to trade internationally while navigating the combined impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit”, says a statement issued by the company. It adds that Box’s appointment will provide Accelerated Payments with further expertise as it embarks on its next phase of growth, supporting businesses emerging from lockdown.

Commenting on his new appointment, Box says: “Unlike any other company in the market, their platform provides SMEs with complete control of their finances as it gives them full visibility of what they are borrowing, how much it will cost and if they are going over payments. This transparent service is precisely what SMEs need during this challenging period where liquidity is scarce, and confidence in the market is low.”