Stephen McCarthy, Head of Business Devlopment, Bibby Financial Services Ireland
Pritesh Ruparel, CEO, ALT21
Stephen McCarthy Bio:
Stephen McCarthy is Head of Business Development at Bibby Financial Services Ireland, part of the international Bibby Line Group and a leading provider of alternative funding solutions to Irish SMEs - www.bibbyfinancialservices.ie.
Stephen's career commenced in the UK working in invoice finance, returning to Ireland at the turn of the millennium holding various roles in Business Banking for 16 years with Ulster Bank. His career then pivoted back to invoice finance with another funder and subsequently Bibby Financial Services where they also provide Bad Debt Protection.
Stephen is passionate about helping SMEs be the best they can be. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Masters in Business Studies in Strategy and Competition from University College Cork as well as a Diploma in SME Credit from UCD. He is a keen sportsman and a regular runner, completing his first marathon in 2014.
Stephen will outline how invoice finance is a highly effective cash flow solution for any business selling B2B, trading internationally and is ideally suited to businesses looking to scale. Often mis-understood and not given proper consideration as a result, invoice finance with Bibby has played a key role in supporting the successful growth of many Irish SMEs since 2006.
Pritesh Ruparel Bio:
Pritesh Ruparel is the CEO of ALT21, a Series A fintech company offering FX, hedging, and payment solutions for businesses trading internationally. ALT21 helps modern businesses (like fast-growing scale-ups) and traditional SMEs save time, energy and money through its platform.
Before founding ALT21, Prit spent 15 years as a trader, specialising in electronic trading in niche FX and commodities markets. He introduced electronic trading to area where it was previously deemed impossible, eventually creating a platform that became integral to Europe's leading fintechs in FX, payments and hedging.
Under Prit's leadership, ALT21 has grown rapidly, from zero to €15M in revenue, build a team of 50 (over half in engineering) and raised €33M to expand into new products and markets. Prit is committed to providing a real-time transparency and delivering innovative, cost-effective solutions to clients traditionally underserved by banks and conventional fintech providers.