Allianz Trade Confirms Its E-commerce Ambitions With Five Appointments

Allianz Trade, the world’s leading trade credit insurer, has expanded its e-commerce team in the Northern Europe region, with five key hires dedicated to the growth of the business’ Allianz Trade pay portfolio. 

Kelly Feeley and Blair Pusey have joined Allianz Trade to lead e-commerce sales growth in the UK & Ireland, Johan Bergström in the Nordics and Alexander van Dijk in the Benelux area. Meanwhile, Richie Pamma takes on the role of E-Commerce Customer Success Manager for the whole Northern Europe region. All five report to Eugene Plug, Head of E-Commerce for Northern Europe. Biographies are enclosed below.              

A testament to the success and increasing demand for Allianz Trade pay

The expansion of Allianz Trade’s E-Commerce team comes at a pivotal time in the payments landscape, with a rapidly growing number of business buyers wanting more flexible options at checkout online. With Allianz Trade pay, the newly appointed team is well-placed to offer a range of services dedicated to B2B e-commerce activities, to even more businesses throughout the region.

Allianz Trade launched the Allianz Trade pay solution in March 2024. By combing e-commerce and KYB principles with trade credit insurance and a payment solution integrated into the customer’s online shop, B2B sellers can safely enable buyers to pay via invoice with a deferred payment period at checkout. Allianz Trade pay enables B2B sellers to increase sales conversion, improve customer experience and reduce time and cost managing credit risk, bringing a new level of security and competitiveness to the e-commerce ecosystem.

Eugene Plug said: “As we continue to support the rapid acceleration of the B2B e-commerce market, we’re delighted to strengthen our team with exceptional talent. In Kelly, Blair, Johan, Alexander and Richie we have five highly skilled professionals in the complementary fields of the B2B payments landscape, underwriting expertise and customer service excellence. Each of them also has an in-depth knowledge of the local market in which they operate, with strong, time-tested business relationships. 

“These appointments are a testament to the success and increasing demand for our innovative Allianz Trade pay solution. The majority of B2B sellers today ask for payment in full at checkout, but we know that 95% of business buyers prefer to pay on invoice. Allianz Trade pay directly bridges that gap. Companies that do offer payment on invoice at checkout online often see a drastic improvement in conversion rate and basket size, which is a plus for their business and offers greater flexibility to their customers. Together, the team and I look forward to working with businesses to help them enhance their offering for customers buying online, and ultimately grow.” 

5 complementary profiles to meet the growing needs of the e-commerce ecosystem

Kelly brings a wealth of global experience in fintech, payment solutions and cybercrime technology to her role. Before joining Allianz Trade, Kelly worked in several business development and sales roles across New York, Madrid and Paris.

Blair joins Allianz Trade with more than 14 years’ expertise in credit insurance and commercial banking, during which he held senior positions across sales and partnership divisions. Most recently, he led the sales team at a digital insurance platform for SMEs.

Based in Sweden, Johan joins Allianz Trade as Sales Manager for E-Commerce in the Nordics. His career before Allianz Trade comprised a range of senior roles in customer engagement and strategic sales planning, with a proven track record in driving e-commerce growth.

Alexander is based in the Netherlands, having joined Allianz Trade as Sales Manager for E-Commerce in Benelux. He has spent his 18-year career with various financial services businesses in account management positions, building specific expertise in KYB solutions. 

Richie transitions to his new role after five years at Allianz Trade, where was most recently Assistant Head of Risk Underwriting in the UK & Ireland. Before that, he was Credit Manager for a number of Blue-Chip companies. Richie brings extensive expertise in credit underwriting and relationship management to his new role.