Bluechain, the fast-growing fintech startup business that transforms the traditional payments and receivables process, has today announced the appointment of Tim Annis as UK Managing Director. This appointment is the next step for Tim at Bluechain, as he previously held the role of UK Head of Sales since March 2020. 

Tim brings close to twenty years of extensive experience in both the payments and tech industries, having worked at American Express (AMEX) for well over a decade, Tradeshift, a cloud-based supply chain payments business, and most recently as Bluechain’s Head of Sales.

During his time at AMEX, Tim held several roles including B2B sales leader for Global Merchant Services, driving their focus on working capital optimisation. At Tradeshift, Tim was the Director of Alliances and was responsible for managing key financial services partners such as HSBC, Santander, SEB and AMEX, with a focus on improving the payments process in the supply chain for enterprise businesses.

Most recently, as UK Head of Sales, Tim has successfully led the Bluechain sales strategy to deliver to market in various countries around the world.

In his new role as Managing Director, Tim will have a broader remit to drive Bluechains success.  He will lead all aspects of Bluechain’s expansion into the UK and Europe - which is slated for September of this year.

“I am thrilled to be growing with Bluechain and to be leading and expanding upon the great team that we have in place, throughout this next exciting chapter as we launch into the UK and Europe,” said Annis. “This new role furthers the exciting opportunity we have to make a real difference to UK consumers and businesses. I am a big believer in technology that can help people and businesses improve their lives and I’m particularly passionate about making an impact on financial inclusion.”

Tim is very involved not only in the business community but the community at large. He serves as a mentor for BetheBusiness, where he helps SMEs in the UK improve business performance. He is also a “Friend” of the Inclusion Foundation and a non-executive, board member for Buck Star Beer Brewery, helping to develop the business through the partnership with BetheBusiness. One of his big passions is supporting local food banks through various fundraising activities.

The appointment comes at an exciting time for Bluechain as they plan to expand into the UK and Europe next month. Bluechain plans to drive market presence in the UK working with major businesses to help them with receivables, whilst helping small businesses and consumers in bill management. It comes at an important time with the cost of living crisis and economic environment increasing pressures on industries and society as a whole.

Peter Russell, Executive Chairman, Bluechain, said: 

We’re thrilled to appoint Tim as Managing Director of Bluechain International, our operating company for the UK and Europe. The upcoming UK and Europe expansion is a pivotal turning point for our business and we have chosen Tim to lead the charge because we have seen first-hand what he is capable of in his sales role, and we are confident and know that he is going to deliver on this success.”

Stephen Bedggood, Head of Product, Bluechain, added: “Tim’s joining has been exciting for us all at Bluechain. He is a real team player and a seasoned payments professional. He has a great perspective on the payments industry and how Bluechain can help both consumers and businesses. It makes him very well placed to take the reins of the UK business at this start-up phase and accelerate its growth.”