Marcus Gregory has over 25 years of experience in financial services, working across both corporate and consumer finance markets.

In 2007, he co-founded Blue Star Business Solutions, a corporate asset finance brokerage, and successfully guided it from start-up to acquisition. The business was sold to Manx Financial Group Plc in 2019. Following this, Marcus was appointed as a Director of Conister Finance and Leasing Ltd, the UK subsidiary of Conister Bank and part of the Manx Financial Group, in April 2021. In this role, he oversaw the bank’s direct lending activities in the UK.

In April 2024, Marcus joined the board of Payment Assist and following the company’s acquisition in September 2024, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer. He now leads the business in its next phase of growth, building on Payment Assist’s strong reputation in the Buy Now Pay Later and consumer Retail Finance sector.

James Smeed has over 20 years’ financial services experience, having started his career with KPMG in audit and assisting in transaction services. He joined the Group in August 2012 as Group Head of Finance and was appointed to the Bank’s Board as Finance Director in 2017. He is both a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Adviser and Treasurer of the Isle of Man Bankers Association. He was made Director of Payment Assist in September 2024.

Chris Masters is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the automotive and financial industries. Based in Oxford, he began his career at Motors.co.uk, where he focused on driving business growth. He later transitioned into the fintech sector, holding key roles at organisations such as iVendi and Vyne.In the summer of 2024, Chris joined Payment Assist to help fuel the company’s expansion. His contributions led to his promotion to Chief Commercial Officer in July 2025.

Ben Milleare is an experienced technology leader with over 25 years’ experience in software engineering and digital innovation. He joined Payment Assist in 2017, bringing deep expertise in scalable architecture, product development, and cloud infrastructure. Prior to joining the company, Ben led engineering teams across multiple sectors, delivering robust digital solutions as well as advising on digital strategy for many top UK and global brands. As CTO, he drives Payment Assist’s technology vision, ensuring secure, efficient, and customer-focused lending experiences.

Richard has over 25 years’ experience in consumer credit having held several executive positions across large PLC and Ltd companies including Tandem Bank, Everyday Loans and Aro Money. An accomplished, results-driven and solution-focused professional delivering effective financial solutions, operational change and transformation with a digital and customer-first attitude. Richard joined the business in December 2024 with a focus on delivering a robust digitalisation program and efficient operational structure to scale and grow the business effectively.

Siân Gant is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years’ experience within the financial services sector.  Siân started her career in audit and assurance with Grant Thornton and moved into industry gaining financial services experience in credit card, subprime lending and more recently within the Building Society sector.  Siân joined Payment Assist in October 2022 and leads the finance department.  She is also a member of the leadership team and the credit risk and compliance committee.

Kevin Birgen has over 10 years’ experience in data, analytics, and risk assurance, having started his career with KPMG East Africa in IT Risk Consulting before progressing to senior roles at PwC and KPMG in the Crown Dependencies. He joined Manx Financial Group in 2023, where he advanced from Group Business Analyst to Senior Data Engineer, leading automation, data engineering, and cloud transformation initiatives. He was appointed Head of Data at Payment Assist Ltd in March 2025, where he is responsible for driving the Group’s data strategy, AI adoption, and digital automation. Kevin is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA®), holds multiple Microsoft Azure Data Engineering credentials, and has a Nanodegree in Business Analytics from Udacity.

Graham Newby is an experienced Compliance Manager and Money Laundering Reporting Officer with a strong background in FCA-regulated consumer credit. Since joining Payment Assist in 2019, he has built the firm’s compliance framework, ensuring robust governance, fair customer outcomes, and alignment with the FCA’s Consumer Duty. An FCA-approved Senior Manager, Graham leads regulatory engagement and promotes a culture of integrity across the business.