US-based fintech firm Fluent, which is developing a blockchain platform for trade finance, has hired Terry Pierce as vice-president of customer development.

He joins from PrimeRevenue, where he spent the past two years as strategic account executive, signing eight master service agreements with a total of US$70bn of annualised supplier spend. At Fluent, he will be developing the customer acquisition strategy and supporting sales efforts.

“Adding someone with such an in-depth understanding of the industry, top-tier sales experience, and a well-established network, is a huge a boost for Fluent,” says Lamar Wilson, Fluent CEO. “It also doesn’t hurt that he has intimate knowledge of the incumbent’s offerings and how our solution can deliver value using a new [technology].”

Pierce is Fluent’s 12th employee, and its third hire since the firm received US$2.5mn of seed funding in March 2016.

“I joined Fluent because of their practical approach to implementing blockchain technology, using it to solve real issues within trade finance,” he explains. “The writing is on the wall; it’s not just a different way to do the same thing. This is a fundamental change, allowing us to solve problems in trade finance previous vendors simply couldn’t.”

Before PrimeRevenue, Pierce also worked as director of strategic accounts at dynamic discounting start-up C2FO, closing its first five market participations, equivalent to over US$25mn.