The appointment is part of Avertis' continued investment and aggressive expansion into new markets, following record growth of more than 100 per cent per annum as demand for its products and services continues to escalate.

Peter brings more than 30 years of management experience to Avertis. He was formerly Head of Marketing for HSBC and had various roles in operational management. He was the driver behind the thought processes which led to the launch of first direct in 1989, and was first direct's Commercial Director for more than thirteen years, during which time it was acquired by Midland Bank (now HSBC). Peter was instrumental in helping to make first direct the leading provider in UK Banking, a position which it has maintained for the last 15 years with strong profit growth. Under his leadership, Peter oversaw the transformation of first direct from a telephone to an electronic bank, involving the full range of electronic communications and product development activities.

In the context of HSBC, Peter designed new product propositions in all of the bank’s financial services sectors and launched these in 2005, achieving market share growth and revenue generation uplift through its extensive branch network. He is also Chairman and non-executive director of several commercial organizations. Peter holds degree in Economics from Cambridge University, has lectured in Economics, Banking and Marketing at a wide range of institutions across the UK, and has achieved numerous accolades and awards in recognition of his achievements, including Marketing Campaign of the Year in any category, product awards for Best in Class for the majority of banking products and numerous communication awards.

"Peter has a strong belief in a set of customer values which reflect both consumer preferences and high customer satisfaction, which is precisely in line with our objectives of fraud prevention, detection and investigation," said Mark Wilcox, Managing Director of Avertis Ltd. "His philosophy and unparalleled management experience will not only help us in the financial services arena, but also enable us to respond to rapidly growing demand for our products and services in other commercial markets, such as telecommunications, utilities and the public sector. As a company that is doubling in size year on year, we're delighted to have someone of Peter's insight, creativity and caliber as part of our management team."