Specialist trade finance provider Zvilo has appointed company founder Admir Imami as chief executive.  

Imami has served as a board member and chairman of Zvilo since its founding in 2021, but will now work for the lender full-time. He was most recently investment director and head of trade and supply chain finance at British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, and remains based in London. 

Imami says Zvilo has “a robust loan book and a strong focus on delivery and market expansion” and his immediate objectives as CEO include scaling the company.  

“I am eager to lead a distinguished team of finance, operations, technology and regional experts and partners as we embark on the next chapter of Zvilo’s growth.” 

Imami spent the last seven years at BII, establishing the institutions’ trade finance book before scaling it to facilitate over US$30bn in trade flows across Africa and South Asia, Zvilo says.  

The company says he was also key to establishing BII’s first supply chain facility with Standard Chartered. 

Prior to that role, he served as co-founder and CEO of trade finance investment manager Advance Global Capital from 2012 to 2015, and as executive vice-president of trade finance asset manager CFE Finance from 2009 to 2011. 

“We are delighted that Admir Imami is joining as our full-time CEO,” says Ron Boddy, Zvilo board member. “His experience in developing sustainable, long-term solutions that align compliance, regulatory frameworks and business objectives will be critical as the business scales.  

“Following three years of growth, this appointment will bring a renewed and dedicated perspective and the operational excellence essential for our next phase. Admir’s background and expertise will help us achieve the perfect balance between innovation and operational efficiency.”  

Zvilo is headquartered in London and offers working capital solutions to SMEs and corporates across the EU, Turkey, Africa and the Middle East, according to its website.