Payments Industry Body appoints new Chair and Vice Chair

The Payments Innovation Forum, (PIF), the not-for-profit payments industry body, has announced the appointment of Matt Sloan, Head of Business Development, EMEA at Discover Global Network, as PIF Chair and Nirav Patel, Group CEO at Andaria as PIF Vice Chair in accordance with the association’s rotating governance model.

Matt takes over from outgoing PIF Chair Jason Field, whose three-month term has come to an end. Jason remains in his role as a Non-Executive Director of PIF.

Matt is the Head of Business Development at Discover in EMEA where he manages their major acquirer and merchant relationships and focuses on building their issuing business and fintech partnerships.

Nirav is the Group CEO at Andaria and brings with him 15+ years’ experience that includes developing strategies and leading organisations to maintain both growth and profitability.

Under the new model, the PIF Chair and Vice Chair rotate among PIF’s non-executive Directors every three months with the Vice Chair moving to the Chair role on rotation. Adopted in September 2022, the shared leadership approach allows PIF to tap into the knowledge, experience and expertise of the PIF Board in a way that better serves PIF’s diverse and growing community of members. It also enables PIF to fast-track key elements of its member-driver strategic plan.

Speaking about his tenure as PIF Chair, Jason Field said: “The last three months have been a real pleasure; my tenure as PIF Chair enabled me to get closer to members, and build on PIF’s strategic priorities. Matt will do a fantastic job, and brings with him a wealth of industry experience.”

Commenting on the handover, PIF Executive Director Diane Brocklebank said: “The value of PIF’s innovative approach to governance is clear to see. It allows us to fast-track key aspects of our work and benefit from a wealth of experience that we can pass on to our members. Under Jason and Matt’s guidance we have delivered on our promise to provide valuable insight and look forward to building on that work with Matt and Nirav at the helm. It’s the commitment of Jason, Matt and Nirav, and all other members of the PIF Board who lend their passion for payments that ensures PIF offers the industry a vital ally.”

The PIF Board currently comprises 9 Non-Executive Directors and 1 Executive Director:

• Joseph Askham, Head of Legal, Thredd
• Diane Brocklebank, Executive Director, Payments Innovation Forum
• Chris Ellis, Director, Bowsprit International
• Jason Field, VP, Account Management, Mastercard
• Dr. Hartwig Gerhartinger, SVP, Legal and Regulatory, Deputy General Counsel, Paysafe
• Siobhan Moore, Partner, Keystone Law
• Nirav Patel, Group CEO, Andaria Peter Sidenius, Director, Edgar, Dunn & Company
• Matt Sloan, VP, Head of Business Development, EMEA, Discover Global Network
• David Walsh, VP, Original Content EMEA, Blackhawk Network