Chief Business Officer

Chief Business Officer Payments Flexible across Europe – German-speaking preferred but not essential Circa €300,000 total comp A high-growth financial technology group is searching for a proven leader to take full ownership of its Payments business unit - a €7m+ line of business sitting at the heart of the firm’s European strategy. This is a rare opportunity to step into an Executive Committee role with complete P&L accountability, a strong existing client base, and the mandate to accelerate growth across a critical product portfolio. The RoleYou’ll run the entire Payments business end-to-end: commercial performance, product strategy, engineering, delivery, and team leadership. The remit is broad and genuinely transformational. Expect to: Own the P&L, budgets, pricing, and investment decisionsSet and execute the vision across real-time payments, SEPA, ISO 20022, payment investigations, cross-border automation, and next-gen workflow/orchestrationLead senior managers across sales, product, engineering, and deliveryStrengthen relationships with banks, PSPs, clearing infrastructures, and strategic partners across EuropeDrive operational discipline, governance, and predictable deliveryChampion innovation around instant payments, open banking, and digital currency readinessRepresent the Payments unit at Executive Committee level, shaping group-wide strategy You’ll take on 15 direct staff (50 including engineering), double-digit annual growth, and an enterprise pipeline that relies on both product innovation and deeper expansion into a banking client base. What You’ll BringYou’re an industry operator with both the credibility and the network to create an impact. Specifically: 5–10+ years leading payments businesses or major product lines, ideally with P&L ownership10+ years in banking tech, payments software, or financial systemsStrong network across European Tier-2/3 banks — you already know all the Heads of PaymentsDeep understanding of European payment schemes and infrastructures (SEPA, ISO 20022, SWIFT, EBA-Clearing, TIPS, etc.)Experience leading multidisciplinary teams (product, engineering, delivery) in SaaS or enterprise-software environmentsAbility to translate strategy into execution - commercially and operationallyEntrepreneurial mindset suited to a business going through growth, restructuring, and renewed product focusGerman-speaking is a plus, but not essential Ideal backgrounds include: senior payments leaders from European banks, or commercial/GM-level operators from vendors in the payments workflow and infrastructure space. Why This RoleExecutive-committee influence from day oneA business unit growing 20%+ YoYStrong platform (low-code workflow automation) and long-standing client relationships€250k–€300k total compensation (c. two-thirds base, one-third bonus)Potential equity participation if the unit is carved outFull flexibility on location across major European hubs Contact Ian Bailey at Harrington Starr for full details