Our Leadership Team

Global executive at Coherent focused on scaling out the company’s offerings across sectors, applying its advanced technologies to solutions that drive high-value outcomes for distinct client/sector issues and market opportunities. Leading development of platform businesses, managed services and software-as-a-service solutions in market, and leveraging emerging technologies to develop new business models and cross sector convergence.

Working with C-level executives at multinational companies in Financial Services, Joel’s passion has been in bringing together business imperatives with digital strategy and execution, leveraging data and technology to build scaled platform businesses, and effectively deploy emerging technologies to drive accelerated performance and growth.

Steve is Coherent's Chief Executive Officer for Europe, focused on the company's growth strategy across the region. Working closely with clients in Insurance, Capital Markets and other industry verticals, he is responsible for enabling them to address their regulatory, compliance, end to end workflow & strategic transformation challenges by accelerating the adoption of Coherent's innovative technology solutions.

Steve brings over 25 years of Banking & Capital Markets leadership experience spanning roles in Operations, Sales, Account Management & Product Management. He also has vast international experience, having spent 18 years working in Hong Kong & Singapore. He was most recently Global Head of Product for HSBC's Direct Custody & Clearing business, where he was responsible for the strategy and development of HSBC's suite of products & solutions to Investment Banks, Broker Dealers and Financial Market Infrastructures globally.

Prior to joining HSBC, Steve led IHS Markit's Strategic Account management team in Asia, was Global Head of Standard Chartered's Banks, Broker Dealers, Clearing & Collateral Product team and UBS' APAC Regional Head of Clearing & Securities Operations.

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Before joining us, Robert led sales and relationship management for Alternative Asset Managers in the Americas at BNP Paribas Securities Services where he drove business strategy and product sales across the full suite of BNPs infrastructure solutions platform. He also spent time at SS&C, a $15 billion technology and services company focused on the Pension Fund and Asset Management sectors. Prior to this, he was Chief Operating Officer for Peak Ridge Capital Group, a Private Equity, where he led the launch of a new Broker Dealer platform. He also spent several years in key roles at UBS and at Barclays capital.

John is the leader and co-founder of Coherent. Every day, he works with teams, customers and partners across the world to help unleash business logic into APIs via Coherent’s world-class and unique software.

His movement into entrepreneurship arose from a successful executive career within some of the world’s largest Financial services companies, where he became fascinated around how much business logic was being created in Microsoft Excel to support product planning, processes and financial reporting/planning to enable such businesses to operate. However, the ‘a-ha’ moment he experienced was the challenge, timeline and high cost challenges that were faced within business around translating this logic into the systems that enterprises use on a daily basis.

John and his team created Coherent Spark, the world’s leading logic-as-a-service platform that enables a business or user to turn spreadsheets into enterprise-grade APIs and code instantly. In short, he is proud to have created software ‘purple cow’…..something truly remarkable that creates instant value for anyone, anywhere using the Coherent platform.

Helen Attenborough is Coherent’s CEO for Australia and NZ and Global Chief Operating Officer, leading our business in Australia and New Zealand, global operations, and shared services functions.

She is a senior technology and transformation executive with experience leading global teams in insurance, reinsurance, broking, and technology consulting companies across more than 30 countries in Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Australasia.

Helen started her career at Accenture where she delivered on a range of strategic, digital, and system integration programs for insurance and banking clients. She then joined QBE Insurance where she was Chief Information Officer for Asia Pacific and Latin America responsible for QBE’s digital, technology, operational transformation, and program delivery functions across 23 markets. Most recently, she was Executive Managing Director at Aon, responsible for the analytics software business and product development within the reinsurance division globally.

Peter is the Chief Technology Officer at Coherent. He designed and wrote the first iteration of Spark to shift how companies leverage intellectual capital, improve enterprise agility, and effectively bridge the gap between business and IT teams.   Peter continues to lead the Spark vision and technical strategy and is passionate about harnessing the benefits of technological advancements such as AI, scalable computing, and secure data architectures.

As a senior transformation executive boasting 25+ years of technology experience in global insurance companies across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, Peter has built a successful executive career by adeptly navigating changing markets and spearheading large-scale innovations. Prior to joining Coherent, Peter held Regional Transformation and CIO roles at AXA. He earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo and still indulges in recreational coding.

Anthony Ford is the Chief Financial Officer at Coherent, where he is responsible for financial planning, reporting and smooth cash management. Anthony has experience in the banking, insurance, broking and consulting industries across Africa, Australia and Asia. He has held treasury and finance executive roles at Macquarie Bank, Barclays and was Head of Treasury and Transformation at CLSA. He began his career in the insurance industry with the Hollard Group and Commonwealth Bank.

At Coherent, Anthony encourages simplicity and flexibility in operations and finances. He ensures that the business remains agile to growth while adding value to clients and investors through Coherent’s market-leading technology and attitude to efficiency.

Anthony is an actuary and a member of the Actuaries Institute of Australia. As a commercial and analytical business partner and technology enthusiast, he enjoys building Coherent's ecosystem of internal systems and controls.

Global executive at Coherent focused on scaling out the company’s offerings across sectors, applying its advanced technologies to solutions that drive high-value outcomes for distinct client/sector issues and market opportunities. Leading development of platform businesses, managed services and software-as-a-service solutions in market, and leveraging emerging technologies to develop new business models and cross sector convergence.

Working with C-level executives at multinational companies in Financial Services, Joel’s passion has been in bringing together business imperatives with digital strategy and execution, leveraging data and technology to build scaled platform businesses, and effectively deploy emerging technologies to drive accelerated performance and growth.

Steve is Coherent's Chief Executive Officer for Europe, focused on the company's growth strategy across the region. Working closely with clients in Insurance, Capital Markets and other industry verticals, he is responsible for enabling them to address their regulatory, compliance, end to end workflow & strategic transformation challenges by accelerating the adoption of Coherent's innovative technology solutions.

Steve brings over 25 years of Banking & Capital Markets leadership experience spanning roles in Operations, Sales, Account Management & Product Management. He also has vast international experience, having spent 18 years working in Hong Kong & Singapore. He was most recently Global Head of Product for HSBC's Direct Custody & Clearing business, where he was responsible for the strategy and development of HSBC's suite of products & solutions to Investment Banks, Broker Dealers and Financial Market Infrastructures globally.

Prior to joining HSBC, Steve led IHS Markit's Strategic Account management team in Asia, was Global Head of Standard Chartered's Banks, Broker Dealers, Clearing & Collateral Product team and UBS' APAC Regional Head of Clearing & Securities Operations.

‍

Before joining us, Robert led sales and relationship management for Alternative Asset Managers in the Americas at BNP Paribas Securities Services where he drove business strategy and product sales across the full suite of BNPs infrastructure solutions platform. He also spent time at SS&C, a $15 billion technology and services company focused on the Pension Fund and Asset Management sectors. Prior to this, he was Chief Operating Officer for Peak Ridge Capital Group, a Private Equity, where he led the launch of a new Broker Dealer platform. He also spent several years in key roles at UBS and at Barclays capital.

John is the leader and co-founder of Coherent. Every day, he works with teams, customers and partners across the world to help unleash business logic into APIs via Coherent’s world-class and unique software.

His movement into entrepreneurship arose from a successful executive career within some of the world’s largest Financial services companies, where he became fascinated around how much business logic was being created in Microsoft Excel to support product planning, processes and financial reporting/planning to enable such businesses to operate. However, the ‘a-ha’ moment he experienced was the challenge, timeline and high cost challenges that were faced within business around translating this logic into the systems that enterprises use on a daily basis.

John and his team created Coherent Spark, the world’s leading logic-as-a-service platform that enables a business or user to turn spreadsheets into enterprise-grade APIs and code instantly. In short, he is proud to have created software ‘purple cow’…..something truly remarkable that creates instant value for anyone, anywhere using the Coherent platform.

Helen Attenborough is Coherent’s CEO for Australia and NZ and Global Chief Operating Officer, leading our business in Australia and New Zealand, global operations, and shared services functions.

She is a senior technology and transformation executive with experience leading global teams in insurance, reinsurance, broking, and technology consulting companies across more than 30 countries in Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Australasia.

Helen started her career at Accenture where she delivered on a range of strategic, digital, and system integration programs for insurance and banking clients. She then joined QBE Insurance where she was Chief Information Officer for Asia Pacific and Latin America responsible for QBE’s digital, technology, operational transformation, and program delivery functions across 23 markets. Most recently, she was Executive Managing Director at Aon, responsible for the analytics software business and product development within the reinsurance division globally.

Peter is the Chief Technology Officer at Coherent. He designed and wrote the first iteration of Spark to shift how companies leverage intellectual capital, improve enterprise agility, and effectively bridge the gap between business and IT teams.   Peter continues to lead the Spark vision and technical strategy and is passionate about harnessing the benefits of technological advancements such as AI, scalable computing, and secure data architectures.

As a senior transformation executive boasting 25+ years of technology experience in global insurance companies across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, Peter has built a successful executive career by adeptly navigating changing markets and spearheading large-scale innovations. Prior to joining Coherent, Peter held Regional Transformation and CIO roles at AXA. He earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo and still indulges in recreational coding.

Anthony Ford is the Chief Financial Officer at Coherent, where he is responsible for financial planning, reporting and smooth cash management. Anthony has experience in the banking, insurance, broking and consulting industries across Africa, Australia and Asia. He has held treasury and finance executive roles at Macquarie Bank, Barclays and was Head of Treasury and Transformation at CLSA. He began his career in the insurance industry with the Hollard Group and Commonwealth Bank.

At Coherent, Anthony encourages simplicity and flexibility in operations and finances. He ensures that the business remains agile to growth while adding value to clients and investors through Coherent’s market-leading technology and attitude to efficiency.

Anthony is an actuary and a member of the Actuaries Institute of Australia. As a commercial and analytical business partner and technology enthusiast, he enjoys building Coherent's ecosystem of internal systems and controls.