London, 16 July 2024 - The Payments Innovation Forum (PIF), the not-for-profit association promoting safe, sustainable innovation in payments, has announced the appointment of David Walsh, VP Original Content, EMEA at BHN as Chair of the PIF Board and Dr. Boris Diakonov, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of ANNA Money as Vice-Chair in accordance with the association’s rotating model of governance.
David takes over from outgoing PIF Chair, Joseph Askham, whose three-month term has come to end. Joseph remains in his role as a non-executive director of PIF.
David is VP Original Content EMEA at BHN, the leader in global branded payment technologies. They strengthen relationships between brands and their customers, employees, and partners by transforming transactions into connections.
Dr. Boris Diakonov is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of ANNA Money (Absolutely No Nonsense Admin), an organisation providing e-money services and business current accounts for startups, small businesses and sole traders. Their services are specifically designed to minimise administrative, bookkeeping and accountancy hassles through convenience and simplicity.
Under PIF’s rotating model of governance, the PIF Chair and Vice Chair rotate among the association’s Board of 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 the association’s diverse and growing community. It also enables PIF to fast-track key elements of its member-driven strategic plan.
Speaking about his tenure as PIF Chair, Joseph said:
“It’s been a pleasure and an honour to be Chair of PIF and play a role in continuing to promote sustainable growth and innovation in the industry. A particular highlight for me was hosting the PIF Innovation Day which is always a wonderful experience. I look forward to continuing to support and promote PIF in my ongoing role as Director and wish David all the best as the next Chair.”
Commenting on the handover, PIF Executive Director, Diane Brocklebank said:
“On behalf of our members I would like to thank Joseph for his guidance and support over the past three months. We look forward to working with David and Boris over the next quarter as we build on the strong foundations we have built and further progress PIF in shaping and developing the payments sector on behalf of our members and the wider industry.”
The PIF Board currently comprises ten non-executive directors and one executive director:
- Dr. Boris Diakonov, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, ANNA Money (Absolutely No Nonsense Admin
- Chris Ellis, Director, Bowsprit International
- David Walsh, VP, Original Content EMEA, BHN
- Diane Brocklebank, Executive Director, Payments Innovation Forum
- Dr. Hartwig Gerhartinger, SVP, Global Regulatory, Compliance and Enterprise Risk, Paysafe
- Jason Field, VP, Account Management, Mastercard
- Joseph Askham, Head of Legal, Thredd
- Matt Sloan, VP, Head of Business Development, EMEA, Discover Global Network
- Nirav Patel, Group CEO, Andaria
- Peter Sidenius, Director, Edgar, Dunn & Company
- Siobhan Moore, Partner, Keystone Law
###
Notes to Editors
About us
The Payments Innovation Forum (PIF), is a not-for-profit organisation representing the payments sector. At PIF, we serve as an independent and pragmatic industry voice, promoting safe, sustainable innovation in payments that harmonises the interests of industry, policymakers and consumers. We are a hub for organisations seeking to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of payments, whether that's as a payment service provider or a fintech in the payments space. Through curated insights, expert guidance, and real-world examples of new approaches, we empower our members to seize the opportunities. Ultimately, we help our members to look further down the line to anticipate the challenges and strategically position their business for what comes next.
To learn more, visit https://www.paymentsinnovationforum.org/
