LONDON, UK: Cornerstone FS plc (AIM: CSFS), the cloud-based provider of international payment, currency risk management and electronic account services to SMEs, announced the appointment of James Hickman as Chief Executive Officer.

James Hickman is serving out his notice with his current employer and so his appointment will take effect on 12 September 2022.

James has over 19 years’ experience within the payments industry. Most recently, James was Chief Revenue Officer at Dublin-based fintech business, Fire Financial Services Ltd. Previously, James spent nearly five years as Chief Commercial Officer at AIM-quoted Equals plc.

Prior to that he was Managing Director at a privately held card & payments business, Caxton FX Ltd. In each role, James was responsible for growing sales, operations and managing key relationships. At Equals, his role also included investor relations, fundraising and strategic acquisitions.

Commenting on the appointment, Elliott Mannis, said: “James brings a wealth of industry experience and excellent strategic and leadership skills to Cornerstone, and I am delighted that he will be our new Chief Executive Officer. He has impressed the Board with his clarity of vision, breadth of knowledge and his strong client-centric mindset. The Board believes he is a great fit for Cornerstone, with the combination of skills and experience to lead the business through its next strategic phase.”

Commenting on his joining Cornerstone, James Hickman added: “I am delighted to be joining Cornerstone at a very exciting time in the Group’s development. I see great potential in the business from its proprietary technology to its regulatory permissions.

It is already delivering an exceptional service to its SME customers and the scalable platform is ideally positioned to add further product capability. I have been impressed by the quality of our people, and the strength of our culture and our client relationships, which provide strong foundations on which to build in the years ahead. I believe we have an exciting future in front of us as we capture growth opportunities in payment services and deliver value for our shareholders.”