The PPRO Group today announce that former Sage Pay CEO Simon Black joins the electronic payment specialists, taking up the CEO position within the fast growing company in its UK headquarters in London.
The appointment represents the progressive vision of the company and highlights the relevance of alternative payments at an international level in the market.
Simon brings a wealth of experience to The PPRO Group, having led Sage Pay through considerable growth over the seven years he was with them. Under his leadership, Sage Pay became the leading card processor for SMEs with a compelling multi-channel proposition in both the UK and Irish markets. Simon also led the creation and launch of Sage One, the online accounting and payroll application for small businesses and their accountants.
Simon's new role will include overseeing the day to day running of the business alongside co-founder and former CEO Philipp Nieland, who will focus on the strategic development of the company. Tobias Schreyer who co-founded The PPRO Group with Philipp, will continue to lead commercial activities. This appointment underlines The PPRO Group's ambitious growth strategy, which Simon, as a proven leader and visionary in the international payments market, is ideally placed to drive forwards.
"I'm really excited to join PPRO," commented Simon Black. "The company is one of the fastest growing payment businesses in Europe with great opportunities for expansion and innovation. With such a good position in the market, heightened by the recently announced cooperation with Alipay, I really feel that it's the ideal time to join the team."
The PPRO Group offers electronic payment methods through payment service providers (PSPs) and partners, offering a multitude of national and international alternative payment schemes and card solutions across more than 190 countries. As a principal member of Visa and MasterCard, The PPRO Group offers the full range of issuing services for debit and prepaid cards as well as a vast range of conventional and alternative electronic payment options including iDEAL, SEPA Direct Debit, SOFORT and Instant Transfer. Working with major payment businesses and strategic partners, The PPRO Group offers the entire value chain from acquiring through issuing to processing, all under one contract.