BB Merchant Services is pleased to announce the appointment of Shelley Cowan as an Associate Partner. A recognised advocate for accessibility and inclusion, Cowan brings nearly three decades of experience helping organisations make inclusion both a commercial priority and a practical reality. Her appointment reflects a growing recognition across the hospitality sector and beyond: accessibility isn’t a competing cost, it’s part of the value chain.
The collaboration began at the recent aha Forum, where Cowan led a roundtable discussion on the role of lived experience in shaping the future of hospitality. Among those in attendance was Steve Wilks, Partner at BB Merchant Services.
“Shelley has a way of connecting that makes you sit up and listen,” said Wilks. “She challenges conventional thinking, not for disruption’s sake, but to open new perspectives. I left the event thinking not just about accessibility, but about the role our firm plays in enabling it.”
That conversation continued after the Forum and quickly moved from shared values to shared goals. As Cowan and Wilks discussed, many hospitality operators want to improve accessibility but face challenges in justifying or financing the investment. The issue is rarely about intent, it’s about resources. Cowan’s message is pragmatic: inclusion can often be resourced from within, by first identifying where operational cost savings can be made.
As founder of Access Avenue and JustUs, and a trusted adviser across business and third-sector organisations, Cowan has consistently championed practical, system-level change. She was Northern Ireland’s first Purple Tuesday Ambassador and remains a visible and influential voice across the accessibility landscape.
What distinguishes Cowan’s work is her focus on financial realism. Rather than treating accessibility as an add-on or a drain, she helps businesses identify hidden or inefficient spend and redirect it towards sustainable improvements. Staff training, inclusive design, and improved service delivery are all made more achievable when cost structures are better understood.
“When I first met Steve, I could tell he was thinking deeply throughout the roundtable,” Cowan said. “Later, in a one-to-one conversation, the discussion turned to a key question: how do operators justify investment in accessibility, and how do they measure the return? That opened a whole new dialogue.”
At BB Merchant Services, Cowan will support organisations in the hospitality and wider service sectors to uncover internal savings and build inclusive practices from the ground up. The aim is not disruption, but enablement – helping businesses understand that accessibility is integral to operational success, not separate from it.
BB Merchant Services has a strong track record in helping hospitality brands unlock value through smarter payment arrangements. Clients already benefiting from this approach include:
Celtic Manor Resort – achieved major savings through a strategic merchant fee review
Firmdale Hotels – saw a 29% reduction in acquiring margins
Flat Iron Steak – streamlined payment costs with minimal disruption
Go Ape – delivered over 60% savings through benchmarking and renegotiation
The original meeting may have been by chance, but the outcome was deliberate: a decision to apply thoughtful advocacy to real-world operational challenges. Cowan’s appointment brings a new dimension to that mission.
“She doesn’t ask businesses to take a leap – just to look more closely at what they already have,” Wilks added. “That’s where change becomes not only possible, but sustainable.”
Wilks sees Cowan’s appointment as an opportunity to evolve how the firm supports clients, not only by optimising costs, but by opening up broader conversations about inclusion. Accessibility, he notes, isn’t just about physical infrastructure; it also means considering how digital channels and payment processes work for all customers. With Cowan’s insight, BBMS will be exploring these themes more actively.
