A Scottish business growth expert has bolstered its top team with the appointment of a highly-experienced and widely respected figure as non-executive director.

ZLX Business Solutions, which specialises in research and development (R&D) tax credits among other financial solutions, has added Francis Kiernan to its board in the newly-created role.

With a career spanning more than 30 years in energy and international commerce, Francis will help drive growth in the north-east of Scotland while enhancing the company’s governance alongside CEO Stephen McCallion and commercial director David Purvis.

Francis is managing director of Aberdeen-based ABIS Energy Group, a company he founded in 2014 to deliver in-depth market and stakeholder analyses to help clients solve complex business and supply chain problems.

Born in Ireland and a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, where he studied engineering, and the London School of Economics, Francis has significant experience in the upstream and downstream energy sectors in the UK, Scandinavia and globally.

He has served as director and board member for several PLCs in the oil and gas industry and is a fellow of the engineering design institute (FIED), a member of Guernica 37 Chambers, a director of the London Diplomatic Association, and a member of the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen.

Welcoming the new appointment, Stephen McCallion, founder and CEO of ZLX Business Solutions, commented: “I first met Francis a couple of years ago, shortly after opening our Aberdeen office, and have been impressed with his plethora of experience across multiple sectors and his straightforward approach to doing business.

“We have developed mutual respect and share common ground in terms of similar experiences and challenges faced, including knowledge of international markets, exports, contracts, and joint ventures.

“Francis will be a champion for the north-east while we take a holistic approach to the whole of the UK, including our head office in Glasgow and continued growth in London and the south-east. He will also support ZLX in our continued mission to bridge the gap between clients and the expansion of our services to a wider range of financial and software solutions.”

Francis Kiernan, non-executive director at ZLX Business Solutions, added: “I’m pleased to join the team and look forward to broadening the company’s interests in various sectors as well as creating a day-to-day relationship between our head office, key partners and stakeholders here in the north-east.

“As the company evolves from a focused R&D supplier, ZLX has an ever-expanding number of business growth solutions. Part of my role will be to align these with market opportunities, especially in the emerging areas of the low-carbon economy and energy transition.”

With offices in Aberdeen and Glasgow, ZLX Business Solutions is led by a team of experienced consultants, including accountancy, engineering and legal experts, who help identify projects eligible for tax relief and navigate clients through the claims process.

The company recently launched its technology growth fund (TGF), designed to create a pathway for fast-growing British businesses to advance up to 150% of their qualifying R&D tax credit and support planned research and product development activity.