Time out with… Carolyn McClure

In our latest Time out With… we caught up with Carolyn McClure, who is part of our Business Development team and based in the US.

Tell me a little about yourself 

I was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. When I turned 19, I bought myself a one-way ticket to the US. I moved to Chicago (to follow the American dream) and I have never looked back. Since then, I grew my career in corporate finance. I have been in the US for 25 years and it never gets old. The US has given me so many opportunities and I am thankful to have become a successful woman working in finance. 

What attracted you to join Accelerated Payments? 

For me, joining AP was a no-brainer. When I learned that AP was looking to hire in the US market – I had to join its team. AP’s offering is so unique and there is a definite need for it. AP blows away the competition in my opinion with products that are relevant to the current market – especially post-Covid. AP disrupts the typical American lenders market with its platform. What is so unique about AP is that we are able to work alongside our customers current bank facility. This is because we are unsecured. We don’t require personal guarantees and our Invoice Finance product is non-recourse. 

Tell me a little about your role within Accelerated Payments? 

I am part of the Business Development team and I work with commercial finance brokers from coast to coast in the US. Working closely with brokers and developing those relationships is extremely important. The broker plays a key role in our business and how we support SMEs. Because of this, I always make sure that I am readily available to help them and their clients with their funding needs. 

I love speaking to new business owners learning about their company, their growing pains and then finding creative ways to get them the capital that they need. I speak to so many types of businesses from Distributing to Manufacturing across the US and they all have that same need – cashflow. 

Our business, like others in our space ultimately have the same goal – and that is to help SMEs grow by providing access to working capital. Our industry is unique because lenders, like AP, often work collaboratively to get the client the funding it needs and I love that comradery. 

How do you find working remotely since joining a remote first company? 

I love it. Having worked remotely for 10 years and this way of working works great for me. I know how to maximize my time and AP gets that. I think for a lot of companies, this is the new normal. AP is a global company and with most staff working remotely we do a lot to stay connected, including daily coffee calls and weekly social calls. 

What is the most interesting thing you are doing at the moment within your role and why do you think this is important? 

I am the first American employee so there is a lot of fun when it comes to building the US market and bringing in clients to the portfolio. I am extremely busy with new prospects. It’s so enjoyable to be part of bringing the AP product to the US market. I love to hear the excitement and relief in the clients voice when speaking to them, because I know that our solutions are exactly what they have been looking for!

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

Living at the beach, you will always find me in or on the water, playing sports or hanging out with friends and tourists. I also love travelling – and often book airline tickets to go exploring. I have lived in four countries, I speak multiple languages and try to visit as many new places as possible. It’s always been a long standing joke when my brokers call me, their first question is always “so, where are you now?”.