The start-up, which was established in 2023, bills itself as the first virtual settlement exchange for autos, offering a marketplace where automobiles can be purchased and sold instantaneously.

Van's "track record of innovation" and "deep understanding of digital identity and privacy" are cited by Patrick McComish, co-founder of AutoSettle, as the key factors in his selection. With this, the company states that its new CEO will be guiding its "next phase of growth and innovation."

Van's cybersecurity expertise is seen to be very helpful in accomplishing AutoSettle's stated aim to doing away with standard manual procedures and building customer confidence through digital identity verification.

Van, a "very experienced technology executive," co-founded and held the position of CTO at Hoolah, a Singapore-based buy now pay later (BNPL) platform. He also worked as a director for Immersve, a DeFi credit card distributor, and The Band, an IT consulting company.

Speaking about his hiring, Van says that one of the main reasons he decided to take the lead at the start-up was the chance to use his expertise in "payment systems, fraud management, risk, and digital identity to the automotive sector."

Van is the latest addition to the fintech industry's roster of newly appointed CEOs. These include Ally Financial's Michael Rhodes, GFT Technologies' Marco Santos, who was elevated from regional CEO to group CEO, and Bolt, a San Francisco-based company, whose worldwide director of sales, Justin Grooms, has taken on the job of acting CEO in the interim.