Pepper Advantage Appoints Three Senior Executives

London, 12 March 2025 – Pepper Advantage, a leading credit management firm with operations in Europe and Asia, today announced the appointment of Vlad Botic as Group Chief Operating Officer (COO), Gary Stockley as Group Chief Information Officer (CIO), and Kelli Riding as Director of UK Transformation.

The new appointments will work closely together to drive continued innovation and growth for the business, improving the firm’s technology development, internal processes, and client experiences.

• Vlad Botic: The promotion of Vlad to Group COO follows his role as interim COO for Pepper Advantage UK, where he drove significant enhancements across the UK’s residential and commercial real estate businesses. He was responsible for improving the onboarding process for new clients, introducing new processes to streamline and improve service levels, and launching enhanced reporting capabilities through client portals. Vlad brings over 20 years of industry experience to the role, including serving as Chief Technology Officer of Samsung Electronics Europe and Chief Operating Officer of Hellenic Bank, where he designed and oversaw the Bank’s technology transformation.
• Gary Stockley: Gary has been promoted to Group CIO having previously held a number of senior roles at Pepper Advantage, including Chief Information Officer for the UK and Head of European Systems, with almost three decades of expertise in the banking and credit management industry. As Group CIO, Gary will be responsible for the firm’s Global IT and Data Transformation teams, overseeing the roll-out of its proprietary technology platform, Prism.
• Kelli Riding: Kelli’s promotion to Director of UK Transformation follows her previous roles as Head of Transformation and Head of Client Change at Pepper Advantage UK. Before joining the firm, Kelli held senior positions at GE Money’s home lending business. In her new role, Kelli will be responsible for transforming Pepper Advantage’s UK’s change delivery, which include improving client and internal processes. As part of this transition, Kelli will also be joining the UK Executive Committee, effective from 1st March.

Fraser Gemmell, Group CEO of Pepper Advantage, said: “As a unified global team, our ambition is to relentlessly innovate and grow, solidifying our position as the world's leading credit management company with the strongest customer focus. The addition of these seasoned and committed professionals will be instrumental in propelling our business forward under our new ownership as we strive to achieve this shared vision.”

Vlad Botic, Group COO, Pepper Advantage, said: “I’m delighted to have been appointed Group COO at Pepper Advantage. I’ve really enjoyed my time as interim UK COO and look forward to expanding upon this work to support the wider business with its plans for growth. I will bring the experience and expertise of these past years to my new role with a focus on driving innovation and integration across the entire company.” 

Gary Stockley, Group CIO, Pepper Advantage, said: “It is a privilege to become Pepper Advantage’s first Group Chief Information Officer, and I am excited to help steer the next phase of growth for the firm. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues in the Global IT, Transformation and Data & Analytics teams as we deploy cutting-edge technologies and deliver an improved experience for our clients and individual customers.”

Kelli Riding, Director of UK Transformation, Pepper Advantage, said: “I’m thrilled to be Pepper Advantage’s Director of UK Transformation. With many years of experience at the firm, I am proud to continue this journey as we strive for the highest standards and best outcomes in the industry. My focus will be on driving meaningful change and delivering exceptional results for all our clients."

The promotions follow Pepper Advantage’s recent acquisition by private investment firm J.C. Flowers & Co.