Admir Imami, Formerly of British International Investment, Joins Zvilo as CEO

Zvilo, a working capital lender to businesses in the EU, Türkiye, Africa, and the Middle East, has appointed Admir Imami as its full-time CEO. 

Imami joins Zvilo from British International Investment (BII), the U.K.’s Development Finance Institution, where he served as Investment Director and Head of the Trade and Supply Chain Finance Division. While at BII he successfully built a trade finance business from scratch with commitments of over $2bn and limits to over 380 issuing banks all supporting trade transactions in the amount of $30bn in Africa and South Asia.   Admir was also instrumental in establishing BII’s first Supply Chain Facility with global banking partner Standard Chartered Bank and in broadening BII’s mandate to encompass a wide range of trade finance asset classes.

Prior to that, he was co-founder and CEO of Advance Global Capital (AGC), a global impact trade finance investment manager among other professional posts he has held during his long international career. 

Imami’s appointment is intended to leverage his expertise in order to enhance and expand Zvilo’s global trade finance operations. His strategic vision and deep understanding of financial markets are expected to propel Zvilo’s mission of addressing the working capital needs of businesses across multiple regions. With a focus on innovation and growth, Imami will lead Zvilo through its next phase of development, ensuring Zvilo remains at the forefront of delivering tailored financial solutions within an evolving geopolitical market landscape. 

Admir Imami, now CEO of Zvilo, stated: “Zvilo is constructed on exceptional foundations, developed using groundbreaking technology, with a robust loan book and a strong focus on delivery and market expansion. My immediate objectives as CEO will include ensuring effective scaling, executing with operational excellence, and continuing to create value for our customers, employees, and investors. I am eager to lead a distinguished team of finance, operations, technology, and regional experts and partners as we embark on the next chapter of Zvilo’s growth.”  

With over three decades of experience in lending and transformation, Imami has successfully built scalable direct lending businesses across various asset-based products serving the full range of entities and institutions in both developed and emerging markets. His background includes product development, bank transformations, asset management, technology adoption, financial regulations, risk management and credit underwriting. 

Ron Boddy, Board Member of Zvilo, added: “We are delighted that Admir Imami is joining as our full-time CEO. His experience in developing sustainable, long-term solutions that align compliance, regulatory frameworks, and business objectives will be critical as the business scales. Following three years of growth, this appointment will bring a renewed and dedicated perspective and the operational excellence essential for our next phase. Admir’s background and expertise will help us achieve the perfect balance between innovation and operational efficiency.”