A former London FinTech CEO has been appointed to lead global tech firm Unit4.
Simon Paris, former CEO of Finastra, will succeed Mike Ettling at the Netherlands-based provider of enterprise cloud applications.
Ettling will hand over the baton at the end of January after a near-six-year period at the firm, which employs 2,400 people worldwide.
Unit4 has a long-standing presence in the UK with a physical base in London.
A spokesperson told BusinessCloud that within Europe the UK is a priority market, and that a number of its senior leadership team are based on these shores.
Paris is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, including leadership positions with Infor and SAP.
He most recently served as CEO at Finastra, a global provider of financial services software applications, where he led its transformation and growth strategy to become one of the largest FinTech companies in the world.
Ettling and the Unit4 board say that they have been carefully planning and collaborating on this transition, ensuring a seamless handover and sustained momentum.
Morgan Seigler, managing director at TA Associates, Unit4’s majority investor said: “Mike has been an exceptional leader, and we are grateful for his tremendous contributions.
“We believe Simon’s leadership, vision, and experience will ensure a natural transition and help drive Unit4’s continued success.”
Ettling commented: “Simon is an outstanding leader with a proven track record and someone I have had the privilege of working with successfully in the past.
“I am immensely proud of what we’ve achieved during my tenure and grateful to the incredible team members across the organization who have embraced our values and driven success for our customers. The future is full of opportunity, and I am excited for the business as it enters this exciting new chapter.”
Paris added: “I am honoured to step into the role of CEO at Unit4, a company with a remarkable legacy and an exciting future.
“I look forward to working closely with the talented team and hope to meet as many as possible in my first few months.”