Leading virtual payments provider Conferma has appointed experienced fintech executive Kriya Patel as its new Non-Executive Director to support its drive to make it simple for any company, anywhere in the world, to connect and do business.

Bringing over 25 years’ experience in payments, card services and fintech, Kriya, currently CEO of Tap Global, will be pivotal in supporting Conferma through the next stage of its growth.

The Manchester fintech has driven virtual payments growth for almost two decades and following acquisition from travel technology company Sabre and investment from Mastercard, has committed to delivering solutions that enable faster, simpler payments and streamline payment processes.

Kriya’s appointment comes at a key time for Conferma, following a rebranding initiative earlier in 2024. Since joining the company in February 2023, Conferma CEO Jason Lalor has worked on preparing the business to strengthen its unrivalled payments ecosystem in corporate travel and expand to new markets, such as Accounts Payable and procurement. Kriya’s experience and connections in the industry will be pivotal to achieving this.

Jason Lalor, CEO of Conferma said: “I’m delighted to be welcoming Kriya into our business at a crucial juncture. Kriya is a successful and experienced fintech executive, whose expertise in payments will be a significant asset as we look to scale the business. We’ve made important strides in the past twelve months and everybody at Conferma is focused on using our technology to enable global businesses to connect and pay through virtual cards. Being able to call on somebody like Kriya, with his insight and connections in the payments industry will be extremely valuable as we look to take the next step.”

Kriya arrives at Conferma with an impressive CV. In addition to his role at Tap Global and previously Transact Payments, Kriya founded–highly successful prepaid cards subsidiary - Newcastle Card Solutions, and runs his own payments, finance and fintech focused consultancy, Kriyative Solutions. Kriya previously advised on the board of The Emerging Payments Association and chaired the Gibraltar E-Money Association.

Commenting on his new appointment, Kriya said: “What excites me about Conferma is that it really feels like the start of the journey. The business has all the right foundations; brilliant product technology, great people and backing from industry heavyweights. There is clearly a massive opportunity to grow, and I can’t wait to be a part of it and see what we can achieve.”