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Hugh Courtney
CFO - Fintech Consumer Credit and Payments - Oxford MBA
Hugh Courtney is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Zilch, a fintech company known for its ad-subsidised payments network (ASPN).
Key Responsibilities and Achievements
- At Zilch, Hugh leads the Finance Function, which includes Strategic Finance, Business Partnering, Financial Reporting, Legal, and M&A teams. He was one of the first four members of the Zilch team, which has now grown to around 300 employees across the UK, USA, and EU.126
- Prior to his current role, Hugh was responsible for Compliance and Credit Risk, securing FCA authorization for Consumer Credit. He also developed and implemented innovative data-led onboarding and underwriting models for sub and near-prime customers.12
- Hugh has played a crucial role in raising over $450 million in equity and debt capital, supporting the founders in various investor interactions and securing a Tier 1 debt financing partner to support Zilch’s global ambitions.12
Professional Background
- Before joining Zilch, Hugh co-founded specialty lending businesses, raised capital for small and mid-cap listed businesses, and worked in primary debt capital markets origination in investment banking.12
Education and Certifications
- Hugh holds an Executive MBA (EMBA) from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, which he completed between 2017 and 2019. He also holds a BComm Acc from the University of Johannesburg and an Hdip Acc from the University of the Witwatersrand. Additionally, he has the CA(SA) designation from the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and the ACA designation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.2
Recent Activities
- Hugh has been instrumental in Zilch's recent financial milestones, including the expansion of its securitisation facility to £150 million with the support of Deutsche Bank and two global credit funds. This deal reflects the company's rapid growth and solid regulatory foundation.34
Insights and Perspectives
- As a CFO, Hugh has shared his views on the challenges and opportunities in the financial sector, including the increasing workload and expectations on CFOs, the importance of decentralizing decision-making, and the need for balancing financial discipline with growth and innovation.5
Highlights
Oct 28 · fintechmagazine.com
Zilch Secures £150m Deutsche Bank-led Securitisation Deal
Oct 28 · fintechfutures.com
Zilch Expands Securitisation to £150M with Investment from Major ...
Jun 12 · the-cfo.io
Is business transformation leading to CFO burnout?

