PAIR Finance accelerates in France and Appoints Thomas Duvacher as Managing Director

WHY THIS MATTERS

The appointment of Thomas Duvacher as Managing Director of PAIR Finance France, announced on June 9, 2026, marks an aggressive expansion milestone for Europe’s leading AI-powered digital debt collector. The French consumer credit and e-commerce landscape is facing an intense dual-layer squeeze. According to data from the Banque de France, the number of open debt claims rose by a steep +9.8% in 2025.

Simultaneously, customer acquisition costs (CAC) have hit record highs across Europe. Under traditional recovery models, businesses faced a frustrating trade-off: hand defaults over to aggressive legacy collections agencies that damaged the brand’s image and guaranteed customer churn, or write off outstanding invoices to preserve customer lifetime value (LTV).

By establishing a dedicated Parisian office helmed by a veteran executive, PAIR Finance is signaling that debt collection is no longer merely a backend accounting process. It is a highly strategic, digital touchpoint capable of turning defaults into a vehicle for brand retention and wealth preservation.

PAIR Finance, Europe’s leading AI-based digital debt collector, has announced the appointment of Thomas Duvacher as Managing Director of PAIR Finance France. This strategic appointment marks a new phase in the group’s accelerated expansion within the French market.

Since 2016, PAIR Finance, has established itself in 12 European countries, serving more than 600 business clients with a technology-driven model that is redefining the standards of debt collection. Breaking with traditional models, the company has developed a platform capable of personalising every interaction with consumers in real time, thereby simultaneously optimising debt collection performance, the customer experience and customer loyalty.

Thomas Duvacher is set to become Managing Director of PAIR Finance France. With over twenty years of experience across financial services, credit management and debt collection, he joins from Intrum France, where he served as Managing Director and Chairman.

A clear ambition: to become the reference in debt collection 

„France offers significant untapped potential. Our new office reflects our ambition to accelerate growth across the country and deepen relationships with our customers. Therefore, we are delighted to welcome Thomas Duvacher as our Managing Director for PAIR Finance France. His deep experience in traditional debt collection, combined with his ability to drive real results will be a decisive force in what comes next. Thomas’ appointment sends a clear signal: PAIR Finance is in France to become the leading debt collector“, says Stephan Stricker, CEO and founder of PAIR Finance Group.

„The next decade of debt collection will be defined by AI. After more than twenty years in this industry, I am convinced PAIR Finance has build the model that will set the standard. Collections is no longer the overlooked final step of the customer journey – it is one of its most strategic touchpoints. My ambition for France: to make PAIR Finance the partner of choice for companies that want to turn collections into a driver of recovery, retention and brand value,” says Thomas Duvacher, Managing Director of PAIR Finance France. 

Artificial intelligence for more effective and more customer-oriented debt collection

PAIR Finance is now the most innovative player in the sector in Europe. Its proprietary platform combines artificial intelligence, data science and behavioural psychology to dynamically tailor debt collection processes to consumers’ profiles and behaviours. On average, this approach delivers around 15% higher recovery rates than traditional providers.

The sophisticated AI technology enables the customisation of real-time communication channels – SMS, email, telephone, messaging – with a twofold aim: to maximise debt recovery performance whilst significantly improving the customer experience. 

Results achieved demonstrate this shift and enable businesses to meet their customer debt collection targets: PAIR Finance has a TrustScore of 4.7/5 on Trustpilot, far exceeding the standards typically seen in the debt collection sector.

A market ready for change

France is one of Europe’s largest consumer credit markets. Customer acquisition costs are at record highs and at the same time the number of open claims rose by +9.8% in 2025 (Source: Banque de France). This dual pressure make one thing clear: debt collection is now as much a customer relationship issue as a financial one. Businesses can no longer afford to lose hard-won customers at the final step: the settlement of an outstanding claim.

PAIR Finance turns this critical touchpoint into a retention opportunity, helping consumers pay open claims faster and more conveniently, without the friction traditionally associated with debt collection – balancing recovery performance, brand image and user experience.

FF NEWS TAKE

PAIR Finance is pulling off a masterful coup by poaching Duvacher straight from Intrum France, where he previously served as Managing Director and Chairman. Intrum is the undisputed global titan of traditional, legacy debt collection. By choosing to lead PAIR Finance’s French footprint after twenty years commanding old-school credit frameworks, Duvacher’s transition validates a permanent market shift: the next decade of receivables management will be won by behavioral AI, not manual call centers.

Backed by private equity firm Pollen Street Capital, PAIR Finance’s expansion infrastructure stretches across 12 European nations, servicing more than 600 B2B enterprise clients in e-commerce, banking, telecoms, utilities, and digital mobility.

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