LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 12, 2025--
Spendesk, the leading spend management and procurement platform for mid-market companies, announces the appointment of Alfonso Marone as Executive Chairman of the Board. This strategic governance change underscores Spendesk’s commitment to driving innovation for customers and profitable growth in 2025.
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Alfonso Marone brings nearly 30 years of global experience in strategic leadership, business innovation, and corporate development. A former KPMG UK Equity Partner, Marone is the founder of London-based advisory firm Point79 and a graduate of INSEAD, holding both an MBA and Corporate Governance qualifications. Over the course of his executive and advisory career, he has worked with Fortune 50 and FTSE 250 organisations, including Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC (now Delinian), NBCUniversal, and O2, as well as top-tier investment firms, focusing on B2B technology, data, analytics, and the information sector.
Marone’s appointment comes at a pivotal time, as Spendesk invests heavily in procurement software solutions and prepares to launch a suite of new AI-enhanced capabilities. His appointment strengthens Spendesk’s leadership team by splitting the roles of Founder, Chair, and CEO among three complementary leaders.
“This new structure enables us to harness the visionary leadership of Founder Rodolphe Ardant, the operational expertise of CEO Axel Demazy, and my strategic oversight to enhance governance and drive attractive value for Spendesk,” said Marone. “I have really enjoyed partnering with Rodolphe and Axel over the past few months, and I am honoured to officially join Spendesk’s Board as Executive Chairman. The company’s work in building the first procure-to-pay platform for mid-market companies in the UK and Europe is truly inspiring.”
Since beginning his collaboration with Spendesk, Marone has focused on developing and overseeing a comprehensive value creation plan with a clear path to profitability in 2025. In his role, Marone chairs the Board of Directors, acting as a critical link between shareholders – including General Atlantic, Index, Eight Roads, Hexa, and Tiger Global – and the executive team. Additionally, he collaborates closely with the Founder to foster innovation in Office-of-the-CFO solutions, drive strategic partnerships, and steer the company toward a path of expansion, value creation, and eventual liquidity for its shareholders.
Axel Demazy, CEO of Spendesk, expressed his enthusiasm: “Alfonso’s leadership brings a fresh perspective and a unique ability to align our shareholders and executive team. His guidance marks a significant step in enhancing governance and unlocking value for both customers and stakeholders.”
About Spendesk
Spendesk is the leading spend management and procurement platform that transforms company spending. By simplifying procurement, payment cards, expense management, invoice processing, and accounting automation, Spendesk sets the new standard for spending at work. Its single, intelligent solution makes efficient spending easy for employees and gives finance leaders the full visibility and control they need across all company spend, even in multi-entity structures. Trusted by thousands of companies, Spendesk supports over 200,000 users across brands such as SoundCloud, Gousto, SumUp, and Bloom & Wild. With offices in London, Paris, Berlin, and Madrid, Spendesk also puts community at the heart of its mission. CFO Connect, backed by Spendesk, is the largest European network of finance leaders, with more than 12,000 members.
For more information, visit: https://www.spendesk.com/en/press/
Alfonso Marone. (Photo: Business Wire)
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's president will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday to wrap up a four-day visit to Washington, in a bid for long-term calm after months of war at home between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
Joseph Aoun's first-ever meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington. This is the first visit by a Lebanese president to the White House since 2009.
Lebanon hopes the talks will result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of southern Lebanon that they currently occupy, and the Lebanese military receiving support to assert full control in areas where Hezbollah militants had held sway.
Lebanon and Israel announced a “framework agreement” on June 26, setting a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw and for the disarmament of Hezbollah, which for decades had a strong presence in southern Lebanon. It also lays out steps toward an eventual peace agreement between the countries, which have never held formal diplomatic ties and have been nominally in a state of war for nearly 80 years after Israel’s establishment.
The U.S. State Department announced Monday that operations in three villages deemed part of a “pilot zone” had begun, without giving details. Two of the villages, Froun and Srifa, are not under Israeli military control and the Lebanese army is present, while Israeli forces are in part of Zawtar al-Gharbieh.
The Lebanese army in a statement said it was preparing for Israel to withdraw from Zawtar al-Gharbieh and that it had begun deploying troops Tuesday. The Israeli military said it “will adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out their mission,” without specifying the location.
The Lebanese military later said Israeli troops fired near that area in Zawtar al-Gharbieh, without giving details, and warned it could delay deployment.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with military guidelines, said the withdrawal had not yet begun.
Abed Ezzeldine, mayor of Zawtar al-Gharbieh, said they were waiting for the Lebanese military to say whether it's safe for residents to check on their homes after they fully deploy and patrol the area. He was concerned about safety, given that the Israeli military is still present in a village next door, while Israeli strikes continue nearby.
“The villages are intertwined, so we don’t feel safe because the Israelis are present there, they’re on our borders and are not very far from us,” Ezzeldine told The Associated Press, who said Zawtar al-Gharbieh is uninhabitable.
“Once the army gives us permission to enter Zawtar al-Gharbieh, we as civilians will go in, but only to check it out and see how things are and then we will leave,” he said. "We can’t stay because the infrastructure is completely damaged and houses have been leveled. They (the Israelis) have bulldozed the roads.”
The Lebanese military last week increased its presence in some of the areas expected to be included in the pilot zone, including the three villages, with troops patrolling and setting up checkpoints.
Aoun on Sunday met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Washington will continue to endorse the Lebanese agreement and support its full implementation. Rubio described the meeting as “very positive” and warned that Lebanon will “never be fully at peace” as long as the Hezbollah issue is not resolved.
“How do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the country,” Rubio said.
Skeptics in Lebanon fear that a military confrontation with Hezbollah could lead to a civil war.
Government officials have urged investment in the country's battered infrastructure to empower the weakened state, which Rubio echoed.
“This is not just about military stuff," he said. "This is about how can we attract more U.S. and international investment into Lebanon.”
Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said they plan to keep military forces long-term in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has dismissed the U.S.-brokered direct talks and instead backed Washington’s talks with its key ally and patron Iran to end their war, which includes ending the war in Lebanon as a condition.
Lebanon’s government came to power on a reformist platform in early 2025, vowing to disarm all non-state groups including Hezbollah. It blames Hezbollah for dragging the country into another war with Israel in March, when the militant group fired several rockets toward northern Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.
Beirut's leadership, however, has condemned Israel’s subsequent ground invasion and massive aerial campaign in the country, which has killed over 4,000 people and displaced 1.2 million others.
While grappling with stark political opposition from Hezbollah and allies within the deeply divided country, Lebanon's leadership insists that Israeli withdrawal and international financial support for Lebanon’s cash-strapped army is crucial for a sustainable security solution.
Associated Press writer Giovanna Dell'Orto in Jerusalem contributed.
A Lebanese soldier stands atop an armored personnel carrier while manning a checkpoint at the entrance to Srifa village in southern Lebanon, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Fatima Mokdad stands outside her home, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike during the Israel-Hezbollah war, where she and her family continue to live, using the only room that remained intact, in Froun village, southern Lebanon, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A resident works inside his shop, which was heavily damaged in an Israeli airstrike during the Israel-Hezbollah war,in Ghandouriyeh village, southern Lebanon, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A resident inspects the damage to his home, destroyed in an Israeli airstrike during the Israel-Hezbollah war in Ghandouriyeh village, southern Lebanon, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Lebanese women pass by houses that were destroyed in Israeli strikes during the war with Hezbollah in Froun village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
A Lebanese army soldier stands at a checkpoint in Froun village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Lebanese army soldiers stand at a checkpoint in Froun village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
