PAYPOINT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Client Implementation Test Analyst
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I started working at PayPoint in September 2018 as a Graduate Client Implementation Test Analyst. I applied for a role here at PayPoint and with further discussion with the Recruitment team it was suggested that I apply for the Graduate role. My role is varied which involves testing and development for new client software before it is released. I am always looking at new techniques and procedures when working in my role which is great as it allows me to further my skill set. What advice would you give someone who is keen to get into an IT role such as yours? I recommend exploring different options where available. This will be the different types of roles and industries that may suit someone. It is a good idea to get a LinkedIn profile set up. For anyone looking to get into testing there is a course called the ISTQB which I would highly recommend. What are the best bits about working at PayPoint? PayPoint provide opportunities for growth, development and training. The people I work with make the difference for me. It has a family feel in the team I work in and we really enjoy having fun at work.
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I joined PayPoint in 2001 as an Administrator and progressed my career by learning different aspects of the business operation from the onboarding of new retailers, sales support, product support and the implementation of new services PayPoint has added over the years. I took a role in IT in 2006 as a Project Manager which gave me the experience of working to deadlines and managing budgets, backlogs of work, and the allocation of people. I am now a senior manager heading up 3 IT teams comprising of Business Analysts, Developers, Test Analysts and Administrators. What advice would you give someone who is keen to get into an IT role? If you have good technical and analytical skills already I recommend learning as much as you can about the business so you understand how you can support it. If you don't already have technical skills, then there are multiple different avenues you can take in IT. Find out what interests you and learn more about it. SQL, C# and automation are good technical skills to have, and understanding methodologies like ITIL, Agile/Scrum/Kanban can give a good background of how IT teams tend to work. What are the best bits about working at PayPoint? PayPoint drives innovation to stand out in their market and to improve the lives of customers, clients and retailers, and so there is always something new and challenging on the horizon in IT. Throughout my career here, I have had opportunities to grow and learn new skills, and I'm definitely not alone in this.
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I started working at PayPoint in July 2018 as a Senior Software Developer. When I started everyone in the business was accommodating and welcoming which really helped me to settle in quickly. I currently work in our MultiPay team which is involved in developing our omni channel payments platform. Some of my day to day duties involve attending our daily scrum meetings, writing unit tests and coding. I also attend meetings with key stakeholders in the business to discuss our design architecture. What advice would you give someone who is keen to get into an IT role such as yours? If you have a real passion for everything computer based start learning. I began writing programs from the very basic type, which become more advanced the further I developed my career. There are many tools and tutorials on the web with many providing help in using programming languages such as C# which is a great starter. If you are creative and have good attention to detail, it makes a great career. What are the best bits about working at PayPoint? The teams are all very friendly. Everyone is very approachable. Much of the development is in an agile environment which is a great way to work for the development teams. Communication goes through the right channels with this helping me do my job effectively. The role does have its challenges like all developer roles, but what is great is that my voice is always being heard at PayPoint and my suggestions are progressed.
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I have been working at PayPoint since 2011 and presently work as a Senior Developer/ Development Lead. I started my career in PayPoint as an Application Services Developer in the Application Services team, and quickly progressed to a Senior in this team. I was then given the opportunity to move to the Development team as a Software Developer and soon after was promoted to a Senior Developer role. In my current role, I have been given opportunities to manage both internal and external development resource; design and subsequently, code software solutions, including writing unit and, where applicable, integration tests; as well as regularly attend meetings with key stakeholders. What advice would you give someone who is keen to get into a software development role? They would need to be passionate about coding. And really, it is not just about having a passion for coding, but also a passion for IT in general. Someone interested in IT software development would need to be prepared to adapt to the ever-changing world of computing, thus constantly learning and exploring alternative ways to deliver better, quicker, more reliable piece of software. When I first started in software development and had very little coding experience, I remember Google being my best friend - there were so many code snippets and "How to" code examples to learn from. Even now, well into my software development career, Google is still my best friend. ☺ At PayPoint, we code predominantly in C#, but we also have a small team of Java, Android and Apple developers. What are the best bits about working at PayPoint? For me it would have to be the people. Everybody is very approachable and friendly and I have always felt as if I am part of one big PayPoint family.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
- Sales Director
- Sales & Customer Life Cycle Director
Anna joined PayPoint as Sales Director in January 2022 before being promoted to her current role in March 2023. Anna has responsibility for new business generation for all our products and services, customer retention and also relationship management across the current PayPoint estate. Prior to joining PayPoint, Anna worked for Worldpay from FIS, where as VP of SME sales Anna was responsible for new business generation across SME and mid market sectors. Before moving into Payments, Anna spent over 20 years in the telecommunications sector, predominantly at Telefonica/ O2 where Anna held a number of senior positions across both B2B and B2C (Retail), including head of franchising, head of stores, head of global sales. Anna has a broad experience; from leading stores teams of up to 800 in retail and managing relationships with some of the world's largest organisations across multiple global locations, from her time in global sales.
Job Titles:
- Retail Proposition and Partnerships Director
Anthony joined the business in 2013 following seven years with convenience retailer SPAR. Since joining PayPoint he has held a number of leadership roles across retail relationships and product management, culminating in his appointment to the Board as Retail Proposition & Partnerships Director in April 2023. Anthony leads the strategic development of our retail devices and accompanying services, our ATM business, our consumer engagement proposition, and our partnerships with large-scale corporate retail groups such as Asda, Co-op, and One-Stop.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Member of the Executive Board
- Customer Experience Director
Ben Ford joined the Executive Board in July 2020 as Retail Services Director and transitioned to the role of Customer Experience Director in October 2021 following the acquisition of Handepay and Merchant Rentals. Ben is responsible for ensuring that our proposition is underpinned by the delivery of excellent customer service to our retailers, merchants and consumers. Ben was previously at Addison Lee where he was head of Global Customer Experience and Operations responsible for global service delivery of customers, clients, drivers, and fleet. Prior to joining Addison Lee Ben worked in similar roles for companies including Premier Inn, Danone, Joules and Boden.
Ben has previously served as CIO of Morrisons plc and Whitbread plc and has held various
senior information technology roles at Tesco plc. He is currently global chief information
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I am a Data Analyst in the Data Analytics Team, situated in Finance. My journey at PayPoint started with a Data Analyst internship in 2018, where I quickly progressed into a permanent position as a Junior Data Analyst. I continued to gain experience and develop in my role, being promoted to Data Analyst. The role requires exploring, transforming, analysing, and presenting data to deliver insights and recommendations for various domains within the business. There are excellent opportunities to work on end-to-end solutions throughout the data pipeline. My day-to-day duties include engaging with stakeholders, data modelling, and developing reports. What advice would you give someone keen to get into a Data Analyst role? Staying up to date with the latest technology will always help with your future prospects. At PayPoint, we use tools and languages including (but not limited to) Power BI, Python, SQL, and DAX. Knowledge of data modelling is also essential for understanding how data is related, and for creating your own data models for analysis. These are great to learn for anyone looking to get into a data analysis role. Funded through PayPoint's apprenticeship program, I obtained a master's in data science from The University of Exeter. I also have a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Kent. What are the best bits about working at PayPoint? The people are great! It's an enjoyable place to work as everyone is friendly. The ability to work from home also makes it a flexible place to work. The direction of the company is very strong, with a positive feel all around. You always get the opportunity to learn new things which you can apply to your role. We get some great benefits too, including an on-site gym which is convenient to use.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Interim Company Secretary
Job Titles:
- Group Head of Financial Operations
What is your role and when did your start working at PayPoint? I started with PayPoint in 1997. PayPoint is a fantastic company for personal development and looks to recruit from within wherever possible. I started my career here as an Accounts Assistant and PayPoint supported me to complete my CIMA qualification whilst working full time, which has allowed me to progress through a number of positions in the finance team and on to my current senior role. What do you like about working at PayPoint? PayPoint is a company always looking to the future and for opportunities to grow and diversify. I have seen us bring many new products to the market as well as acquiring and integrating other companies into the PayPoint group.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
- Head of Corporate Finance
Chris joined PayPoint in 2016 and is Head of Corporate Development, leading the organisation's growth and development activities and overseeing treasury strategy. Prior to joining PayPoint, Chris worked at LMAX as Head of Financial Reporting, where he was responsible for developing the finance function following its MBO from Betfair. He is a qualified accountant with 20 years' experience in senior finance positions in financial services, telecoms and gaming sectors, including TalkTalk and Tsogo Sun Gaming.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Client Services
Danny joined the business in 2019 and was promoted to his current role of Managing Director, Client Services in 2023, leading the commercial and strategic development of the client portfolio and managing relationships with the multiple retailers. Before joining PayPoint Danny worked for Mitie plc in the FM sector managing a number of businesses, predominantly within the security sector. Danny also worked in consultancy for Newton Europe specialising in process efficiency improvements across a diverse range of sectors, including healthcare and defence. Prior to this Danny started his career as a graduate in the logistics industry, spending six years working in the parcel carrier industry for Target Express.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I started at PayPoint in September 2007 after completing my A levels. Not having a set career path in mind, I applied for a role in the Contact Centre and used this opportunity to learn everything that I could about different areas of the business. Finance was an area that attracted me so I applied internally for a role in Retail Finance and after a few years moved into Financial Operations where my manager at the time encouraged me to start studying towards an official financial qualification. After gaining experience and studying I progressed up the ladder into Financial Control and to my current role of Management Accountant; now managing a team of two. PayPoint have been and are continuing to be very supportive in my ongoing journey to becoming a Chartered Accountant. It's great to combine my industry experience and financial theory everyday within my role. In 2020 I moved into a new role at PayPoint as a Buyer What advice would you give someone who is keen to get into a finance role? Open yourself up to every opportunity and take on any challenge. Don't be afraid to ask questions and try to reinforce your knowledge with a formal qualification. Most of all, make yourself an Excel expert. What are the best bits about working at PayPoint? The people make this business; we're really a large group of friends. The business invests in staff progression and welfare providing a variety of areas to work and relax. One of the best parts of PayPoint is that they give me the opportunity to volunteer on the Charity Committee which is really fulfilling. I also support and mentor local schools giving students practical commercial experience and working with them to improve their interview skills for when they start their own journeys. I enjoy giving something back to the community and am thankful that the company support me in this.
BTG plc, Victrex plc, Elan Corporation Inc and Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc. Giles is a
Gill has held senior strategy, marketing and business development positions at the Co-op, John Lewis, Kingfisher, MasterCard and KPMG. She was previously a non-executive director of Morgan Sindall plc and McCarthy & Stone plc and currently chairs the Customer Challenge Group for Severn Trent Water plc. Gill is a non-executive director of DFS Furniture PLC, N Brown Group plc and Wincanton PLC.
Appointed to the board as Independent Non-Executive Director in March 2023. Formerly Chair of Appreciate Group. Guy held senior sales, marketing and operations roles at Accor UK and Whitbread plc, before becoming CEO of first Travelodge and then easyHotel plc. He was previously Chair at online sofa retailer, Snug and Non-Executive Director at Yorkshire Building Society. Guy is a Trustee of Goodenough College and Chair of Goodenough Ventures Ltd.
Jo joined PayPoint in 2011 and is currently Client Services Director, with responsibility for a portfolio of client service sectors including energy, local authorities, DWP and eMoney. Prior to PayPoint, she supported bluechip organisations with their CSR programmes in schools, including developing programmes for BT and Grant Thornton, following her early career in the education sector.
What advice would you give someone who is keen to get into a Business Development role?
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what is your role? I am Head of Field Sales at PayPoint. This role involves managing a remote, national team consisting of 55 people. Our purpose for being is to sell the features and benefits to new prospective PayPoint retailers and maintain and build on relationships with existing PayPoint retailers in the convenience sector.When I started at PayPoint 13 years ago, I was installing PayPoint services and training retailers. As the years progressed, I moved into selling products and building relationships with retailers and then moved into a Regional Sales Management role responsible for the South of the UK. I have been in my current role for 8 months. What do you like about working at PayPoint? I have a great team around me, it is a close-knit environment full of people who want to help and support you - both office and field-based staff who work really well together with one shared outcome. One of the best things I love about working at PayPoint is that we are always looking for ways to improve. We are super innovative and normally, our staff come up with the best ideas. If you are prepared to work hard, you will reap the rewards as PayPoint offers great abilities to earn, plenty of training and development opportunities to boost your career.
Job Titles:
- Territory Development Manager
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I joined on a temporary basis in Retail Operations in June 2014 checking contracts. It was an administrative role that helped me understand the business and how every person that completes a part of the process is really important to the success in achieving great customer service. I was encouraged to apply for a permanent position supporting the field sales team which really gave me the opportunity to understand what it might be like to work in a sales role. I challenged myself to spend time in other departments learning about the different roles within PayPoint so that when vacancies were advertised I felt confident making an application. As part of my role in Sales Support I spent time with Territory Development Managers out in convenience stores learning about how the work I did in the office affected their success. When a field sales role came up near where I lived I applied and was offered a 6 month secondment. I was determined to make it work and I knew that planning, strong diary management and being highly organised were key to me being offered the role on a permanent basis. During my time at head-office I developed strong relationships with all the teams I now need to liaise with in my current role. This has helped me enormously and I regularly visit head-office to maintain these relationships and keep up to date on any developments. What advice would you give someone wanting to get into field sales? Understand the market, the industry and the convenience sector as a whole. Push yourself to read relevant publications like Asian Trader or The Grocer. Develop your planning and organisational skills and have the strong desire to make money and be the best you can be in this role. Best thing about working for PayPoint? PayPoint live by their company values so great customer service is instilled. I enjoy the people and the competition. It is a big company but still has a family feel. There are fantastic opportunities available to anyone who works hard and is keen to develop themselves.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
- Managing Director Love2Shop & Park Savings
- Managing Director of Love2shop
Julian joined PayPoint as Managing Director of Love2shop and Park Christmas Savings following the successful acquisition of Appreciate Group PLC in February 2023. Julian is responsible for the Strategy, Commercial performance, Clients and Sales & Marketing functions with a focus on driving revenues in line with key financial targets. Julian successfully served as Interim CEO of Appreciate Group plc (AG) throughout the acquisition period. Julian joined AG in August 2017, initially as Group Operations Director then as Chief Commercial Officer. Prior to this, he held senior commercial executive roles at Adare Group, the customer communications services group, for 18 years following a career in the automotive and electronics industry.
Katy joined PayPoint as HR Director in 2012 with responsibility for the development and implementation of our people agenda. Prior to joining PayPoint, Katy worked for RSA Insurance Group where she held a number of senior business partnering roles in the UK and latterly in the emerging markets business where she was responsible for ensuring the delivery of the HR agenda across 22 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Prior to that Katy spent seven years at General Electric where she held HR roles in both its consumer finance and insurance businesses. Katy has a degree in International Business and Modern Languages from Aston University and is a Chartered Member of the CIPD. Katy is a member of the ESG Working Group and chairs the Employee Forum.
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I have been working at PayPoint since 2011 and currently work as a Team Lead for Application Support. In my time with PayPoint, I have progressed into various roles which has allowed me to develop and grow in the business and as a person. I originally started my career as a junior developer for a very well known brand and before I knew it I was offered an opportunity to start a role here as a technical operational analyst. I then moved into a senior role within that team and then into Application Support as a Senior member of staff and now Team Lead. I currently look after a team of analysts, support various apps used within the business along with supporting our terminal estate. What advice would you give someone who is keen to get into an IT role such as yours? I recommend researching into the different areas as IT is very broad. Once you know what you would enjoy it would be good to looks at courses online as there is a great variety. You can also look into part time study if you are working. IT is always evolving so make sure you keep an interest in what is going on. What are the best bits about working at PayPoint? The people. They make a big difference. There is a family feel and everyone works together. We all try to contribute towards a positive environment. Challenges can come up throughout the day but with a great team and camaraderie we enjoy problem solving and providing a great service to our customers as a team.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
- Managing Director, Card Services
Mark joined the Executive Board in February 2021 following the acquisition of Handepay and Merchant Rentals and was appointed Banking Services Director in October 2021 in recognition of our growing banking proposition including ATMs and Counter Cash and he retains his responsibility for our cards business. Prior to this, Mark was chief commercial officer at Handepay from 2013 where he developed the market-leading customer proposition and led the marketing and customer management teams. Mark has previously held international product management positions with global payment processor Elavon, where he was responsible for mobile payment, currency conversion and gift card solutions. Mark began his career in the payment industry in 2002, supporting major acquiring and retail customers for Ingenico.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Member of the Executive Board
Appointed to the Board in October 2009, Chairman in May 2015, Executive Chairman in December 2019 and Chief Executive in May 2020. Nick retired as Chairman of Nomura in 2012 after more than 25 years in investment management and banking. His career started as an analyst and fund manager at Mercury Asset Management before moving to Cazenove, where he spent the majority of his career and was a partner prior to incorporation and becoming a vice chairman of JP Morgan Cazenove. He was previously a non-executive director of Strutt & Parker and Picton Property Income Ltd and senior independent director at Primary Health Properties plc, prior to its merger with MedXplc.
Job Titles:
- Parcels Services Director
Nick Williams joined PayPoint in September 2017 and is currently Parcel Services Director, having previously managed the parcels operational team before taking on responsibility for the wider PayPoint parcels product. Nick has overseen the transformation and growth of the Collect+ brand in recent years into a truly carrier agnostic and customer centric solution.With 30 years industry experience Nick formerly held key positions within both Hermes and TNT where he was responsible for various commercial and operational teams.
Job Titles:
- Senior Independent Director
Rakesh started his career as an electronic design engineer at Marconi in 1983 before moving
to Dowty as chief engineer in 1989. He was chief executive of Ultra Electronics Holdings Plc
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Executive Board
Rob is a qualified Chartered Accountant with more than 25 years' experience across financial services, with Co-Op Insurance, Swinton Insurance and Aviva plc, and professional services, with Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young. He joins us from De La Rue Plc where he was Chief Financial Officer.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Director of Foxtons Group Plc
Rosie also serves as a Non-Executive Director of Foxtons Group plc,
and Workspace Group PLC. Rosie is a chartered accountant and was a former audit
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I started at PayPoint in 2011 in Retail Operations department and quickly progressed to a Team Leader. I was then given the opportunity to work on a new ATM product launch. Within three years I became a Tester and before I knew it I was appointed to the role of BAU Team Lead. In this role I look after the technical side of our transaction switch which we support 24/7. I look after a team of 10 and enjoy developing and supporting them in their careers. In 2021 I moved into a new team as a ServiceNow Business Analyst What advice would you give someone who is keen to get into a role in IT? Research as much as possible. ITIL is a good certification to have and having a basic knowledge of SQL really helps. Most of all I think if you have the right attitude, drive and determination then this is a great starting point. Customer focus is really important for many roles as we deal with a range of internal and external stakeholders every day. What are the best bits about working at PayPoint? The team spirit is one of the best parts for me. When problems arise everyone in the team gets involved to solve them. My role is also varies which is great and it allows me to deal with different issues on a day to day basis, but also allows me to work alongside the various technologies we use. We have a number of projects in the pipeline to enhance the services and technologies that we use, this shows that we are always striving to improve our offering.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technology Officer
- Member of the Executive Board
Simon joined the Executive Board in April 2021. He was appointed as Chief Technology Officer in May 2017, having previously managed the IT team at PayPoint's Mobile and Online subsidiary prior to its sale. Simon has worked in both the payments and retail wealth management sectors for over 30 years as an engineer, manager, consultant and IT executive. He has launched and managed card processing systems for several banks and consulted on payments in the UK, USA and Australia. Prior to joining PayPoint, Simon was a management consultant for several years and has delivered significant IT programmes for several banks, wealth managers and insurance firms.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Member of the Executive Board
- Corporate Affairs and Marketing Director
Steve joined PayPoint originally in 2014, and then again in 2020 as Corporate Affairs and Marketing Director, leading our marketing, PR and investor relations efforts for the Group. He has spent over 20 years in marketing and PR leadership roles for large consumer organisations in the UK and Europe, across the retail, telecommunications and financial services sectors. After starting his career at the John Lewis Partnership on their graduate scheme, Steve has worked for Orange, Carphone Warehouse, HSBC and Amigo. Steve is also a member of the ESG Working Group.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
- Finance Director Love2Shop & Park Savings
Talha qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Pakistan in 2009 and spent over fifteen years working in professional services firms with experience in four countries, including roles in Aberdeen and Manchester with EY and PwC, working with companies in both the regulated financial services and consumer product sectors. Talha joined Appreciate Group Plc in November 2021 as Director of Finance and was appointed to the role of Interim Chief Financial Officer on 6 July 2022 but was not appointed as a statutory Board director at that time. He has since been appointed to the Executive Board as Finance Director of Love2Shop and Park Savings.
Tanya Murphy - Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Legal Officer
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Head of Compliance
- Member of the Executive Board
Tanya joined PayPoint as General Counsel and Head of Compliance in September 2020 and leads PayPoint's Legal and Compliance teams advising all companies across the PayPoint Group on legal and regulatory matters relating to their businesses. Prior to joining PayPoint, Tanya worked at Zurich Insurance for 11 years where she held a number of roles including Head of the UK Corporate & Commercial Legal team. Tanya qualified as a solicitor in 1996 at the international law firm Lovell White Durrant, now Hogan Lovells LLP, where she worked as a solicitor for 12 years specialising in corporate and commercial law across a number of business sectors.
Job Titles:
- Commercial Finance Analyst
How long have you been working at PayPoint and what role do you do? I graduated from college with an IT qualification and knew I wanted to get some work experience. I started at PayPoint in 2007 as a temp. I had already completed a year at Tesco in an IT role. The team I started in was called Field Development. I got the opportunity to develop new ways of working, implement processes and work with lots of different areas of the business. My Excel skills are strong and I have developed a keen interest in Finance. I am now studying towards my CIMA qualification and am currently in a Commercial Finance Analyst role. What advice would you give someone who is keen to get into a finance role? Working and studying is currently what is working for me, but being open minded, having a great work ethic and being prepared to take on as much new work as possible. What are the best bits about working at PayPoint? The people. I have made loads of friends over the years and enjoyed being part of a company that is continuously evolving. The open spaces available to get away from your desks are great, the newly equipped gym and the new layout of the canteen all lends itself to a positive work environment. It has never felt difficult to get up in the morning and come to work. I spend time with my colleagues outside of work and we have a lot of common interests. There are lots of activities that are subsidised or free for employees like football at a local sports centre, onsite yoga and we recently trialled kickboxing. I feel that we can make suggestions on ways of working and ways of taking time out and they are listened to and acted upon if there is enough interest.