Mitchel brings extensive financial services and technology innovation experience to the Board, gained through both his executive and non-executive careers.

Mitchel was a long-serving Non-Executive Director at Nationwide Building Society before stepping down in 2019. He currently sits on the board of Currency Cloud, which allows the next generation of fintechs to quickly and easily build cross-border payments and FX functionality into their platforms, as well BioCatch, the global leader in AI-driven behavioural biometrics.

Mitchel’s career has spanned over 30 years. From 2000-2005 he was Group Chief Information Officer at Deutsche Bank, where he successfully led the bank’s transformation. Prior to this he ran a variety of business, operations and technology units for global investment houses including UBS Warburg, where he served as Managing Director, Global Head of Operations & Operations IT, and Credit Suisse First Boston where he was Director of Group Operations.

Mitchel started his career in 1977 on the graduate training programme at J.P. Morgan. He has an MBA in international finance from City University Business School and a BA in Business Finance from City of London Polytechnic.

Of his appointment as Non-Executive Chairman at Exizent, Mitchel said: “I am excited to be joining Exizent, a fine example of the role technology can play in improving an area that has been long overlooked. Exizent’s vision to improve the bereavement experience and fundamentally reduce the administrative burden on families is a proposition that really resonates with me, and I’m looking forward to supporting them on their journey.”

Nick Cousins, founder and CEO, says Mitchel’s extensive experience will be a huge asset to Exizent: “I am delighted that Mitchel has decided to join us,” he said. “He brings a proven track record in financial services and technical innovation and his appointment is a key step in our evolution as we seek to make the bereavement experience better for everyone involved."

Exizent is the first ever platform that connects data, services and the network of people involved when someone passes away. The company’s mission is to reduce uncertainty, increase speed and make the process far simpler. The company was founded by former financial services veteran Nick Cousins and transformation and technology leader Aleks Tomczyk. The business successfully raised £3.6 million in funding from several investors including FNZ, the global platform-as-a-service firm which reached unicorn status in 2018.