FIRE FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Founder
- CEO and Founder of Fire
Colm Lyon is one of Europe's leading payments and fintech entrepreneurs. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Colm has built payment businesses, led change across the industry and supported the wider business community.
Colm was previously the Founder and CEO of Realex Payments, which he led to a position as one of Europe's largest and most successful online payments businesses. Realex Payments was acquired by Global Payments in March 2015.
Colm was appointed to the UK Finance Payments Products and Services Board in 2018. He has received many awards and held several industry leadership positions, including chairman of the Irish Internet Association, founder of Payments Ireland and co-founder & chairman of the Fintech and Payments Association of Ireland. Colm is an adjunct professor for University College Cork and a member of the International Advisory Board of the Innovation Academy in University College Dublin.
Mark joins Fire as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) with over 14 years of financial services experience across Canada, United States, Ireland and the UK. Most recently, Mark worked with Deloitte where he has held a variety of roles including managing Scaled Operations for a global technology company.
Prior to this he has also led international GDPR and Brexit initiatives for major global banks and insurance companies, which in part includes creating and delivering on new target operating models. Mark holds an MBA from UCD Michael Smurfit Business school and a Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Francis Xavier University in Canada.
Owen has a degree in Theoretical Physics from Trinity College Dublin, and began his professional career as a freelance IT Solutions contractor. While developing the Ulster Bank corporate website, he met Colm Lyon, and together they founded Realex Payments in 2000. He was responsible for the initial build of the card payments platform, and led the re-architecture and design of the platform in 2010.
As Product Architect at Realex Payments, he delivered highly successful payment solutions for corporates such as Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic and the AA.
In 2009, Colm founded Fire Financial Services in collaboration with Owen, and since the sale of Realex to Global Payments, Owen is now the Chief Product Officer and is responsible for the core propositions, design, roadmap and roll out of new product to personal and business customers, as well as white label solutions for other Financial Institutions and platforms.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
- CFO and Deputy CEO of Fire
- Director of an Investment Firm, Payvation
Paul is the CFO and Deputy CEO of Fire and has been a director since 2009. Paul has responsibility for a number of functions with a strong focus on the strategic business planning. Prior to Fire, Paul was the CFO of Realex Payments, one of Europe's largest and most successful online payments businesses, until its sale to Global Payments in 2015.
Paul is a Chartered Accountant and has completed an executive MBA in UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and a Strategic Leadership for CFO's programme at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Paul is also a director of an investment firm, Payvation, which has invested in several early stage start-up businesses.
With his financial services experience spanning across software development, delivery management, consulting engagements, Vladimir brings to the organisation banking domain expertise, focus on execution and driving valuation with well-architected IP, and efficient use of resources.
Job Titles:
- Fire Risk & Compliance Officer
- Risk and Compliance Officer
Yvonne is the Fire Risk & Compliance Officer (RCO) and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO). Having joined in 2013, Yvonne is responsible for ensuring that fire.com complies with all relevant legislation and providing assurance to the board that key processes, controls and risks are managed effectively.
Yvonne qualified as a LCOI (Licentiate of the Association of Compliance Officers in Ireland) and has 8 years' experience in compliance having previously worked as a Compliance Manager for a wealth management company as the RCO.