Azzurro Associates further strengthens team with senior appointment
Azzurro Associates, a pioneer in commercial debt solutions (CDS), has appointed experienced fintech executive Stefan Acklam as finance director.
Stefan has more than 20 years’ expertise in financial services in the UK and US, having recently been finance director for a well-known challenger bank, supporting the business through its Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) approvals and successful multi-million-pound fund raising. He has a proven track record in building strong finance teams, and in putting in place the necessary financial systems and processes demanded of a highly regulated industry.
A former senior consultant with KPMG, Stefan was attracted to the new role by the team and the opportunity: “Azzurro Associates is a well-funded business that is clearly at a very exciting stage of its development,” he says.
“It not only has a credible executive team with a healthy appetite to grow, but also a genuinely exciting market opportunity with a range of debt management solutions that will be of significant help to many businesses and CFOs as the UK heads towards recovery.”
Andrew Birkwood, founder and CEO of Azzurro Associates, is similarly pleased to welcome Stefan to the team: “Stefan’s experience of financial services, and his proven track record with a fintech and challenger bank specifically, will be of particular benefit as we look to grow the business and promote a new generation of debt management solutions to an increasingly demanding market.”
An Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (ACMA), Stefan began his career with Bass Leisure before moving to Capital One Bank where he had a spell in the US. As well as banking, he also has experience of insurance and pensions with Capita PLC and Liverpool Victoria. He holds a BA (Hons) in Industrial Economics.