Chris Cardwell and Tony Bernstein join FS consultancy iBe

Financial services consultancy iBe has appointed two new Partners to its operations. Chris Cardwell and Tony Bernstein will take responsibility for building iBe’s capital markets, risk and finance capabilities across Britain.

Based in London, iBe is a pan-European management and technology consultancy dedicated to the financial services industry. Led by Chief Executive Officer Francesco Scarnera, the firm has more than 1,100 employees and branches beyond the UK in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Romania, Poland and Ukraine, while 2018 saw the group record revenues of €150.2 million.

In the UK, iBe has worked with major European financial services institutions including Credit Suisse and First Data. On the continent, meanwhile, its clients have included MasterCard, Bancoposta, Unicredit, Iccrea and Poste Italiane. The firm has also serviced the needs of new entrants and alternative players in the cards and payments industry such as PayPal, DataCash and Vodafone.

iBe previously made two new senior hires over the last quarter, in what it asserts is a “sign of the company’s strong growth ambitions.” As iBe prepares for heightened demand in the coming year, the firm has further announced two new Partner hires to expand its capabilities in the British market. The move will see arrivals Chris Cardwell and Tony Bernstein work to build iBe’s capital markets, risk and finance capabilities in the UK. Both hires have extensive consultancy experience, including spells working with well-known financial services firms such as HSBC, Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley.

Remarking on iBe’s hiring spree, CEO Francesco Scarnera said, “Over the last few years the iBe team has gone from strength to strength, and the fact we have hired four senior professionals, including two Partners, in a matter of months is proof that this is set to continue. The addition of Chris and Tony will help us build our presence in the capital markets, risk and finance arenas and help us reach our goal of becoming the pan European leader in financial services consulting. This will allow us to offer clients an end to end service from advisory to delivery and ensure we continue to surpass their expectations.”

Chris Cardwell

Bringing over 20 years of experience to the firm, Chris Cardwell was previously Managing Director at BCS Consulting, where he spent 12 years. During his time at the consultancy, he was instrumental in growing the firm from 19 consultants to 180, while working with a range of financial services clients, including HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and Santander. He began his career at Diamond Technology Partners, now owned by PwC.

Cardwell commented, “iBe has a renowned reputation in the payments and retail banking sectors and is continually challenging the industry status quo when it comes to innovation, and its clients have reaped the rewards. Already on a strong growth trajectory, I look forward to building the iBe business further and replicating the company’s success in the capital markets, risk and finance arenas. The iBe team has an impressive range of experience, expertise and enthusiasm and I am excited to become a part of it.”

Tony Bernstein

Similarly bringing more than two decades of financial services know-how to iBe, Tony Bernstein was previously Vice President and Head of UK Financial Services Consulting at Cognizant. Particular highlights on his CV include having spent three years as a Partner in EY’s financial services consulting team, following eight years in the same capacity at Diamond Technology Partners. These roles saw him work with several investment banks including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and HSBC.

Bernstein said of his appointment, “The wider iBe Group has been challenging European advisory firms for a number of years, consistently growing its presence across the continent and tapping into new markets. Equally as impressive, the UK arm iBe has a strong client base, boasting several well-known banks and payment providers including MasterCard, HSBC and First Data. I am pleased to be joining such an ambitious, entrepreneurial company and team.”