Stephen A. Jones is a highly experienced practitioner with over 40 years of trade and receivables finance expertise. He has held senior positions in Lloyds Bank, NatWest and RBS, working in operations (letters of credit, collections, payments, foreign exchange and negotiations), and trade finance sales (client management, new business origination and risk evaluation). Stephen has spent 35 years specialising in trade finance in corporate banking and more recently as an independent trade and working capital trainer and practitioner. Since forming his own consultancy business, AXS Trade Finance Ltd, he has been fully engaged helping companies and banks to structure trade and receivable finance deals which meet the client’s needs and allow the bank greater control, risk mitigation, transparency and thus increased credit appetite to lend. In 2014 Stephen was appointed Consultant Head of Risk for a new to market trade finance provider. During his term of office Stephen formulated the trade finance credit risk policy and operational manual for the financier and headed up its credit risk committee. Stephen continues to work as a practitioner, consultant trade advisor, handles letters of credit for his corporate clients, structures their trade and working capital finance requirements and facilitates trade finance market solutions.  As a recognised leading expert on the subject of trade and receivables finance, Stephen regularly designs and delivers training programmes to banks globally on trade finance to include sales, credit risk, operations and anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance.