Trade and Receivables Finance Companion

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.

• 1. Conflicting needs: the need for risk mitigation and finance.- 2. The trade cycle: construction and facility calculation.- 3. Bills of lading: exercising control.- 4. Advance against collections: an alternative to the overdraft.- 5. Letters of credit for import: protecting the applicant.- 6. Letters of credit for export: protecting the beneficiary.- 7. Letter of credit non-bank issuer: risk appreciation and negotiation.- 8. Standby letters of credit: protecting the applicant and issuing bank.- 9. Advance payment guarantee: Applicant risk mitigation and clause construction.- 10. Back to back guarantees: managing risk.- 11. Pre-export finance: use of documentation to mitigate performance risk.- 12. Pre-shipment finance: funding the manufacturer.- 13. Stock: structuring financing solutions.- 14. Commercial terms: evaluation.- 15. Credit insurance: evaluating cover.- 16. Receivables finance: formulating the facility structure.- 17. Specific insured debt purchase: structuring asolution to meet the client’s needs.- 18. Financing the importer: structuring payables finance.- 19. Supporting the middle-party: minimising risk exposure.- 20. Discount purchase: reducing the facility requirement.- 21. Commodity finance: financing the trade cycle.- 22. Trade & receivables finance: structuring a compelling client focused solution.