Banking Circle CEO appointed as inaugural chair of new EPA EU

Anders la Cour, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of ground-breaking financial utility, Banking Circle, has been appointed Chair of the newly-launched non-profit business association, Emerging Payments Association EU. The new trade association builds on the international network of its London-based sister organisation, the Emerging Payments Association (EPA), which consists of 150 members from across the payments industry.

Based in Luxembourg, the EPA EU is a new, separate legal structure created to promote and defend the interests of the payments industry across the European Union. The latest payments businesses to join the EPA EU include Visa and Mastercard.

Banking Circle is one of three founding members of the new EPA EU, alongside the UK-based EPA and Luxembourg for Finance (LFF) – the Agency for the Development of the Financial Centre. The European organisation is headed by Banking Circle’s Anders la Cour as Chair and Thibault de Barsy, ex-CEO of Keytrade Bank Luxembourg, as Vice-chairman and General Manager.

Tony Craddock, Director General of the EPA commented: “We’ve received an incredibly enthusiastic reaction to our launch in Luxembourg from right across the industry, and we are delighted that the organisation will be led by Anders la Cour, as Chair. This is a period of great importance for the payments industry across Europe, as we wait to see how Financial Services will be handled within the ongoing Brexit negotiations. The importance of banking and payments must not be underestimated, and the newly launched EPA EU will play an important role in representing the interests of our members.”

Anders la Cour added: “Having just secured our Banking Licence from the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg, we are delighted to be involved in the newly formed EPA EU, and I am both honoured and excited to be taking on the important role of Chair.

“Businesses across the EU are in the midst of big market changes, with many challenges and opportunities to come. The EPA EU will play a vital role in supporting payments businesses as they negotiate the changing landscape and we all work together to find the best way to support industry and consumers across the region and the rest of the world.”