Hawkins, formerly Chief Technology and Product Officer at Shieldpay, will be taking over the role from Founder, Peter Janes who moves to Group CEO as part of Shieldpay’s strategic plan to prepare for its next stage of growth and expansion.

In his new position, Hawkins will play a pivotal role in helping the business scale in the UK, enter new sectors, and enhance Shieldpay’s positioning in the fintech arena. With several exciting partnerships in the pipeline, Hawkins will be instrumental in accelerating Shieldpay’s growth trajectory in 2023 and beyond, including driving expansion into Europe.

Hawkins brings over 25 years of technology experience to his new role, including seven years at Microsoft before holding senior leadership positions at HSBC and the unicorn challenger bank Zopa. His depth of expertise in technology and leadership in both start-ups and established companies alike makes Hawkins well-equipped to guide Shieldpay into the future.

Andrew Hawkins, UK CEO at Shieldpay, said: “Since joining the business I have been inspired both by the scale of the opportunity and Shieldpay’s ambition. As we look to expand Shieldpay’s market offering, I’m excited to take the reins as CEO, UK & Europe and take B2B payments to new heights. I will use my experience to guide the business to the next level, disrupting the traditional payments process and taking Shieldpay to new corners of the market.”

Peter Janes, Group CEO and founder at Shieldpay, said: “I’m thrilled to announce Andrew as our CEO in the UK and Europe. Andrew has all the experience and knowledge to drive the business forward and position Shieldpay as the expert in high-value B2B payments. We’re excited about this next stage of growth, and we couldn’t be in safer hands with Andrew’s leadership.”

The appointment comes as Shieldpay bolsters its senior leadership team more widely, with the business also appointing Ed Boal as its new Head of Legal. Boal joins Shieldpay with over a decade of experience in private practice as a tech lawyer advising founders, investors and fast-growth tech companies in the UK.