Iplicit appoints Ben Crow as VP & eyes international expansion

Cloud accounting firm iplicit has appointed Ben Crow as its new Vice President of Partnerships and Lizzy Hillary as Senior Product Manager as it marks growth in its partner network and invests in broadening its market position.

Ben Crow brings nearly three decades of experience in channel leadership to his new role at iplicit, having previously held senior positions at software companies such as SAP and Asana. He will lead iplicit's partner strategy, focusing on partner enablement and support to deliver customer service and position the business for future international growth.

An industry veteran, Crow started his career at Exchequer Software working with iplicit's current Chief Financial Officer Rob Steele, before moving into senior roles at SAP where he developed and implemented channel programmes. His most recent role was as Global Head of Channel Partnerships and Alliances at Yokoy, a spend management company.

"Joining iplicit feels like coming full circle. I first worked with (iplicit's CFO) Rob Steele over 25 years ago at Exchequer, and I've followed iplicit's trajectory with real admiration. The company has already built extraordinary momentum - winning industry recognition, delighting customers and attracting a strong partner base. It's at that rare point where everything is in place to accelerate rapidly and partnerships will be central to that next stage of growth," Crow said. "As VP of Partnerships, my focus will be supporting customers to upgrade their outdated finance systems by building out our solutions partner network in our existing core markets. While also preparing iplicit for future international expansion, starting with markets such as Australia and New Zealand."

Crow's appointment comes as iplicit hits a partnership milestone, reaching 50 UK partners, including accounting firms such as AAB and 4 Point Zero, channel partners such as Candura, Tick9 and Xplor Solutions, and technology integration providers including GoCardless and Cin7.

Lyndon Stickley, Chief Executive Officer of iplicit, commented on the importance of partnerships to the company's expansion plans.

"2025 is shaping up to be another landmark year of growth for iplicit. According to our intel, in 2024 we outsold our closest competitor two to one; this year we're on track for three to one, and next year it will be at least four to one. Partners are absolutely central to this acceleration, alongside our direct sales team. Ben's channel experience across enterprise software, ERP and high-growth SaaS makes him the ideal leader to turn our partner division into a true engine of expansion. This year is about activating existing partners; next year, with Ben, we'll expand the network even further. By 2026 we expect to exceed 1,000 sites, 5,000 organisations, and 100,000 daily users - solidifying our position as the UK mid-market's favourite cloud accounting provider."

Senior Product Manager Lizzy Hillary has also joined iplicit, transferring experience from previous roles at the Access Group and Klipboard. Her remit will centre on product strategy, onboarding, usability improvements and exploring the integration of artificial intelligence into the company's offering.

"What drew me to iplicit was the people and the energy from the very start. I was looking for a disruptive, agile business where we can move quickly, listen to customers, and adapt to their needs, and iplicit really embodies that. I'm excited about the opportunity to explore how AI and other innovations can make our products smarter, and our users' lives easier. For me, it's about building software that genuinely improves our customers' day-to-day experience, and I can't wait to get stuck in and start making an impact."

Stickley further outlined the company's growth trajectory and product plans.

"Only four in a thousand start-ups ever make it from zero to over £10m ARR and iplicit has already crossed that chasm, thanks to our disruptive product, our relentless focus on customer satisfaction, and our exceptional team. With Lizzy's appointment and the continued strengthening of our product function, we're about to deliver exciting innovations across UI, UX and AI." "At the same time, we're scaling fast, expanding to a 200-strong, UK-based team by Christmas, with new roles across partner success, customer success, and AI innovation. No competitor comes close to building this level of resource and expertise here in the UK; all focused on the UK & Ireland. The rate at which our product is evolving, specifically for UK organisations, is far beyond that of any alternative that is engineered by American development teams with American priorities. We're firmly on track for unicorn status (USD $100m ARR) by 2030 and over GBP £100m ARR by 2031."