Mr Barnard, who has more than 15 years of experience in the finance industry, particularly within start-up and scale-up organisations, leads Encompass’ global financial and business operations. This includes holding ultimate responsibility for the strategic operation of functions including finance, legal, people, revenue operations, IT and information security.

Joining Encompass in 2016 as part of its Sydney-founded team, Mr Barnard was first appointed as head of finance, and has remained a key senior figure as the company has grown in size and stature. Playing a pivotal role in rapid international expansion, he has spearheaded growth across all areas, while most recently serving as VP of finance and business operations out if its London office.

His appointment is the firm’s latest milestone, underlining its commitment to building a robust leadership team. This has been bolstered by a number of senior hires this year, including Neil Acworth as chief information security officer and former CEO of CoorpID Job den Hamer, who joined as head of business development.

Mr Barnard said: “I am delighted to continue what has been a remarkable journey at Encompass by taking up the role of CFO.

“It has been a privilege to be part of establishing the organisation as a global leader, with the foundations in place to continue to go from strength to strength, supported by a first-class team and innovation.

“It is a truly exciting time, and we are well placed to continue to flourish as a top player in the market, fuelled by our focus on unlocking the benefits of CDI for our customers.”

Wayne Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Encompass Corporation, said: “Stuart has been instrumental to the success of Encompass, from the early days until now, as we have developed our offering, operations and culture – all of which have allowed us to scale internationally.

“His knowledge, expertise, and business acumen have been vital to ensuring Encompass remains ahead of the curve, and the diverse, high-performing talent that he has brought into his teams has been central to not only how we operate on a daily basis, but to instilling the values that we pride ourselves on as a forward-thinking employer that enables individuals to thrive.”