SMA Financial, Swift Regional partner for UK, Eire, Channel Islands and the Nordics today announced it had appointed John Ballantyne to the position of UK Sales Manager with responsibility for driving business development of SMA's Swift Service Bureau and other value-added offerings.
Ballantyne's experience and specialist knowledge will be a key element as SMA looks to build on its proven record of winning significant levels of new business in this competitive sector.
Ballantyne joined SMA five years ago as a Sales Executive before a promotion to Corporate Sales Manager in 2007. He has been instrumental in developing SMA's corporate client base and has played a key role in signing up approximately 10% of SWIFT's total global corporate customer base.
One of Ballantyne's first tasks as UK Sales Manager will be to enhance the new business sales team as SMA looks to capitalise on its reputation as the SWIFT Service Bureau of choice, within the UK's financial and corporate market space.
"I am excited by this new opportunity and looking forward to expanding SMA's client base in the UK. I am privileged to work with a very talented team at SMA that supports its market leading bureau," Ballantyne commented, "Additionally the range of value added services that SMA offers ensures we can help financial institutions and corporate treasuries to achieve automation and straight-through processing (STP) through standardised messaging and cope with the challenge of maintaining efficient cash management."
Despite the tough economic climate SMA has signed up an impressive number of new corporates, financial institutions and non-financial clients in 2009. This validates the successful Service Bureau concept which provides a viable and cost effective solution to outsourced SWIFT connectivity. SMA also offers a number of value added services such as Anti-Money Laundering and fraud prevention software, Cash Management, Payments Reconciliations and Confirmation Matching.
Simon Murby, Managing Director, SMA Financial said, "I am delighted to recognise the contribution that John has made to SMA's success over the last five years. He is regularly praised by clients for his professional approach and commitment to ensuring that corpt corporates get maximum value from their investment in SWIFT. SMA has enjoyed another year of strong performance and this appointment is part of continued investment in our management team and infrastructure and will ensure that we are well positioned to meet and exceed our growth targets in 2010."