Issue 12 2019

, CEO MONTHLY / SUCCESS STORIES 2019 20 Oct19355 For today’s app developers, the focus is on creating products that can helpmake life even easier and smoother than it was yesterday. That same commitment rings true for SmartTrade and its CEOKent Vorland. Dedicated to ensuring that small businesses and sole traders have the perfect platformonwhich to receive payments, discover one man’s commitment to ensuring his company’s technology becomes the best in the world at what it does. Serially successful: Meet the man taking the payments world by storm Technology has advanced at such a rapid rate in the modern era that many areas of life which were once tiresome and tedious have now become quick, seamless and easy. Even something as potentially complicated as making a payment on the go has become effortless and, all in all, simple. For small enterprises and sole traders, CEO Kent Vorland has spearheaded the revolutionary new app that has become an essential tool in running a business and getting paid by customers. Ultimately, SmartTrade App is a new mobile application that has been specifically engineered to help SMEs and sole proprietorships take credit and debit card payments, without an expensive card reader or merchant account. Businesses can now take card payments in a myriad of different ways, with a focus on ensuring that the merchant has full flexibility in terms of how they receive payment. At the centre of this client centric effort is Kent Vorland. Kent wasn’t always focused on developing apps and working for the world’s most up-and- coming payment providers. Beginning his career in the Air Force, Kent found he had other ambitions and moved to America where he studied economics at Clark University in the state of Massachusetts. After successfully graduating Summa Cum Laude with high honours in Economics, he then went on to begin a career on Wall Street in 2014 before moving to London where he built a reputation through founding, managing and consulting companies. Then, in December 2017, Kent became the CEO of one of the world’s most exciting financial apps, SmartTrade App. Over the last two years, Kent has been working side-by-side with a team of world-class individuals to develop an app that provides small businesses everywhere with a way of accepting customer card payments. The result? SmartTrade has become the best and only company focusing exclusively on serving sole traders and SMEs with a flexible, reliable, and intuitive solution that is simple and easy to use. Much of the app’s success is largely thanks to Kent and his pioneering vision to take the app into global markets, transforming it into something truly exciting and ground-breaking. Perhaps Kent’s greatest achievement isn’t a sole achievement in itself, but rather the continued growth and monumental levels of success of SmartTrade App. Having taken a company that was struggling to make waves and transformed it into a powerhouse partner for global companies such as Mastercard and Wirecard, particularly on developing unique mobile journeys for the exciting new payment product Pay by Bank App, Kent’s commitment to success is nothing short of incredible. In less than two years, this serial achiever has surrounded himself with a team of brilliant people who have helped catapult him into CEO success. However, Kent isn’t content to rest on his laurels. Aspiring to become the number one provider of payment technology to support sole traders and SMEs, the dream is also to help large financial institutions who don’t want to develop the technology themselves. For Kent himself, it’s always been about more than developing a ground- breaking app; it’s about making sure that both himself and his employees don’t break their backs and neglect themselves. Whilst pursuing excellence is important, people always come first. Looking out for his staff’s physical and mental welfare is just another reason why the app has seen such success under his sage leadership. More recently, the team were recognised as the ‘Most Disruptive Payments Technology’ and received the ‘Payments Pioneer’ Award at the 2019 Payments Awards, acting as further testament to SmartTrade’s ground-breaking technology. All in all, Kent is a leader by example. A shining beacon of integrity, originality and loyalty, this fantastic CEO always has his employees’ back, but knows when to not make everything about business. Wise beyond his years and eternally grateful for the opportunities that have come his way, Kent’s desire to succeed is matched only by his humility and humanity outside of the office. Contact: Kent Vorland Email: [email protected] Website: www.smarttradeapp.com