Ebury hires HSBC innovation head as COO for growth push

Ebury, a payments fintech, has hired the former global head of innovation, delivery and capability development at HSBC, Louise Chan, as its new chief operating officer (COO).

Chan joins from HSBC, where, in addition to her most recent leadership role, she had spent over four years working with retail and wholesale clients in global digital payments. Her prior experience also includes roles across payments and operations at large industry players such as Barclays.

She takes on an expanded remit at Ebury, covering both operations, as well as product, data and regulatory reporting. 

Ebury says it is currently undergoing a growth push as the company looks to further expand its financial solutions offering for SMEs and midcaps looking to trade internationally. It is the latest in a bid to bolster Ebury’s leadership team, with Chan’s appointment following closely after Victor Tuson Palau’s promotion to chief technology officer (CTO) last November.

“Companies are constantly looking for ways to reduce boundaries to trade internationally and need market-leading partners to support these aims. Ebury’s innovative tech platform, its network of strategic banking partnerships, and market-leading customer service, positions it well to accelerate growth,” Chan said.

Founded in London in 2009, Ebury has grown its presence across 20 countries and now executes transactions amounting to $21bn annually. 

Specialising in international payments and collections, the company offers foreign exchange capabilities in more than 130 major and exotic currencies, as well as services in cash management, trade finance and risk management. 

Spanish banking giant Santander bought a majority stake in Ebury of 50.1 per cent in 2019 for £350m with a view to expanding its own SME business and providing funding for Ebury to penetrate Latin American and Asian markets.