Encompass appointed former CEO of the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA), Kate Sharp, as an industry advisor. Sharp will be responsible for supporting and accelerating the company’s growth as a supplier of innovative visual analytics technology to the UK’s asset based lending, factoring and invoice discounting industries.

Sharp served as CEO of the Asset Based Finance Association from 2003 to 2014. She significantly raised the profile of invoice finance within government, which ultimately resulted in significant changes to UK legislation in respect of bans on assignment. Sharp was also instrumental in setting up the EU Federation for Factoring and Commercial Finance (EUF) and was made an honorary fellow of the Institute of Credit Management.

Mark Nuttall, VP UK and EMEA at Encompass, said: “Asset based lending and invoice finance are both increasingly significant contributors to growth of the UK’s economy. Kate’s knowledge and expertise of these sectors will prove invaluable, helping our company to build deep engagement with the industries and to provide them with software products that improve their decision-making processes.”

Sharp added: “Financial services firms face the challenge of making sense of all relevant information available to them, and doing this in a timely manner and at reasonable economic cost. I believe that by using products from Encompass, firms can genuinely create value for their clients and their owners.”