Colm Lyon is the founder and CEO of fire.com – a provider of digital accounts and debit cards to businesses and personal customers in the UK and Ireland. fire.com is focused on providing businesses with a solution that’s “better than a bank account” – a digital account that is easy to access, transparent and safe.

Colm was also the founder and former CEO of Realex Payments. Colm led Realex Payments to a position as one of Europe’s largest and most successful online payments businesses, processing in excess of €28 Billion per annum for 12,500 online retailers. In March 2015 Realex Payments was acquired by Global Payments in a deal valued at €115m.

In recent years Colm has invested in several early stage start-up businesses in sectors such as IoT, travel, fintech, collaboration and sports media.

Colm has worked in financial services related businesses for thirty years, starting with fourteen years in the banking sector. He is a regular speaker at payments and internet industry events across Europe and frequently commentates for press as a payments expert and visionary about the future of money. He is passionate about business.

He has held many industry leadership positions, including being (at different times) chairman of the Irish Internet Association, founder of the Internet Growth Alliance, (iGAP), founder of Payments Ireland, member of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce Council, member of the International Financial Services Industry Advisory Group, co-founder & chairman of the Fintech and Payments Association of Ireland.

Colm is a graduate of University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Management Science Degree.