Fintech PR
Flutterwave Hires World-Class Executives from PayPal, Stripe, and Western Union, Focusing on Risk, Compliance, and Payment Partnerships to Amplify Growth
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, is excited to announce the appointment of several seasoned leaders from prominent financial services companies, including PayPal, Stripe, American Express, First Data, Western Union, and Square. These appointments reinforce Flutterwave’s dedication to risk and compliance to continue growing sustainably and successfully expanding globally.
Amaresh Mohan, Chief Risk Officer, joins Flutterwave as the company’s first Chief Risk Officer, a role he previously held at GoTo Group, Indonesia’s largest digital ecosystem that publicly listed at IDX last year. Amaresh’s 25-year career includes leadership positions at Stripe and PayPal where he was responsible for building risk management capabilities to enable market entries and scaling up in a number of emerging markets globally. Previously, Amaresh has held key roles in leading global banks, including Citibank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Bank of America.
At Flutterwave, Amaresh will oversee all aspects of Risk Management, including Compliance, Trust and Safety. He will work closely with the board and Flutterwave leadership to build a risk-aware culture and strong governance across the company.
Stephen Cheng, EVP Global Expansion and Payment Partnerships, brings over two decades of global experience at Fortune 100 and high-growth regulated financial institutions, building and leading world-class risk and compliance organizations. He has held multiple C-level positions at public and private companies such as American Express, First Data, Green Dot, and Prime Trust. Most recently, Stephen was Chief Risk and Compliance Officer and Chief Executive Officer at Wyre. Stephen will spearhead Flutterwave’s navigation of the ever-evolving global payment systems and facilitate the company’s expansion into new markets globally through acquiring licences and strategic payment partnership initiatives.
Amanda Ortega, Head of Compliance, US, brings more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry, including 12 years as a regulator with the State of Wyoming’s Division of Banking, where she served in various roles, including Chief Bank Examiner and Deputy Banking Commissioner. Prior to Flutterwave, Amanda was a regulatory, audit, and compliance executive for multiple licensed trust companies and money transmitters. She will be responsible for overseeing Flutterwave’s regulatory standards and compliance in North America.
To further strengthen its risk, compliance, and partnerships teams, the company announced the appointments of several senior-level hires, including Steven Huynh, who has joined as VP, Global Expansion and Payment Partnerships, and is an industry veteran holding compliance, risk, and operational leadership roles at Western Union, Sigue, and Wyre. Chris Davis, who joined as VP, Risk and Compliance Operations, held leadership roles in compliance, risk, and operations at Scottrade and Square/Cash App. Adewale Ayantoye, who joined as VP, Risk Management, previously held a Director-level Financial Crimes Operations role at Etsy and a leadership role in compliance at Square/Cash App. Among them, they have a combined experience spanning over 30 years with expertise across compliance, risk, and partnerships.
These appointments come in a year when Flutterwave doubled down on its expansions into international markets with new licenses in Rwanda, Egypt, Malawi, and, most recently, money transmitter licenses (MTLs) in 13 states in the United States. It will be pivotal for the company’s continued focus on operational excellence by investing in risk and compliance, and adhering to the highest regulatory and compliance standards with world-class talent. This focus will fuel sustained growth, payment innovation, and expansion across the globe.
Speaking on the new appointments, Olugbenga ‘GB’ Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, said: “We are excited to welcome Amaresh, Stephen, Amanda, Steven, Chris and Wale to Flutterwave. This is a big step forward on our journey to build sustainable, safe, and secure payment solutions that connect Africa to the world and vice versa. Their wealth of experience will help us maintain an atmosphere of sustainable growth and a constructive environment for our people. They will help us solidify our commitment to providing excellent payment services to existing and potential enterprises and individuals from across the world.”
About Flutterwave
Flutterwave is the leading payments technology company that enables businesses across the world to expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets through a platform that enables local and cross-border transactions via one Application Programming Interface (API). Flutterwave has processed over 550M transactions in excess of USD $32B and serves more than 2MM businesses, including customers like Uber, Airpeace, Bamboo, Piggyvest, and others. The company’s key advantage is connecting businesses to various local and international payment types to enable them to expand globally. It also enables cross-border transactions from the diaspora to African countries via its Send App product. Flutterwave processes payments via multiple payment modes, including local and international cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers, and Google Pay. The company has an infrastructure that reaches 34 African countries. For more information on Flutterwave’s journey, please visit www.flutterwave.com.
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Fintech PR
President Emmerson Mnangagwa met this week with Zambia’s former Vice President and Special Envoy Enoch Kavindele to discuss SADC’s candidate for the AfDB
President Mnangagwa, who is SADC Chairperson, reaffirmed his own country’s and SADC’s enthusiastic support for Zambian candidate Sam Maimbo
LUSAKA, Zambia, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Special Envoy Kavindele released the following statement following the meeting:
“I am elated to witness the growing success and momentum of Sam Maimbo’s candidacy to become the next President of the African Development Bank. I am filled with gratitude to our friends across both SADC and COMESA for their continued support and good wishes.
Sam has garnered such wide consensus due to his being uniquely qualified to deliver the transformative change and empowerment our continent needs. Sam’s 30 years in development work is defined by driving outcomes, improving processes, and investing in people. The AfDB needs a hands-on leader who is laser focused on delivering results and who is unafraid of making tough decisions in order to best serve our continent. Sam is that leader. Sam has the track record and experience to drastically enhance the pace, scale, and impact of the Bank’s work in service of the people and governments of Africa.
Our region has a proud history of supporting fellow Southern Africans. For example, we all recall Lusaka’s role in hosting the African National Congress’ headquarters during the dark days of Apartheid oppression.
It therefore gives me no pleasure to observe my South African brothers, who have themselves leant on Zambia’s steadfast friendship over many decades, fail to rally behind both SADC and COMESA’s chosen candidate for the AfDB. Africa’s urgent economic development challenges demand transformational leadership at the AfDB, it is all of our responsibility to put forward the best candidate for the job. This is not the time or place for a government to act with narrow self-interest, we all must act in the continent’s and AfDB’s best interest.
I thank Sam Maimbo for his lifelong service to our entire continent, and I am eager to witness his enormous impact as President of the AfDB.”
LONDON, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Heimdal Security shares a practical holiday cybersecurity checklist, offering expert insights to help businesses safeguard against cyber threats this festive season.
With reduced staffing, remote work setups, and a surge in online shopping creating heightened vulnerabilities, this guide offers actionable tips to enhance business security.
Going beyond basic advice, the checklist also highlights the most common holiday scams and features videos showcasing real-life examples of Christmas-themed cyber scams and effective prevention strategies.
Key Tips to Protect Businesses This Holiday Season:
- Strengthen endpoints: Ensure devices are updated with antivirus and endpoint protection software; consider Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and application whitelisting.
- Prepare for phishing spikes: Train staff to identify suspicious emails, enforce robust email filters, and establish protocols for reporting unusual activity.
- Secure remote access: Mandate VPN usage, monitor unusual logins, and deactivate inactive accounts temporarily.
- Segment and shield networks: Isolate sensitive areas, deploy DNS security and advanced firewalls, and maintain full visibility over network traffic.
- Apply timely patches: Regularly update all systems and test patches in a controlled environment to minimize disruptions.
- Mitigate supply chain risks: Assess vendors thoroughly and limit their access to essential systems.
- Have a response plan ready: Tailor incident protocols for the holidays, create an on-call rotation for the IT team, and enable rapid action against suspicious activity.
“ Cybercriminals thrive on holiday distractions, but with proactive measures like phishing training, secure endpoints, and network segmentation, businesses can stay ahead of potential threats,” said Alex Panait, System Administrator at Heimdal Security.
Common Holiday Scams That Businesses Should Watch For:
Cybercriminals often tailor their tactics to exploit the festive season. The most common scams include:
- Spear phishing: Emails disguised as holiday bonuses or event invitations that steal credentials or spread malware.
- Malicious holiday E-Cards: Festive greetings that contain links deploying ransomware or spyware.
- Fake E-Commerce sites: Fraudulent websites offering discounts to steal payment information.
- Insider threats: Distracted or disgruntled employees mishandling or exploiting sensitive data.
- Corporate travel scams: Fake booking platforms targeting business travelers.
- Business email compromise (BEC): Fraudulent requests for urgent wire transfers during year-end financial rushes.
For more, read the full article here or watch the video on YouTube to see how these threats unfold and learn actionable prevention strategies.
About Heimdal:
Established in Copenhagen in 2014, Heimdal® empowers CISOs, security teams, and IT administrators to improve their security operations, reduce alert fatigue, and implement proactive measures through a unified command and control platform.
Heimdal’s award-winning cybersecurity solutions span the entire IT estate, addressing challenges from endpoint to network levels, including vulnerability management, privileged access, Zero Trust implementation, and ransomware prevention.
For further press information:
Madalina Popovici
Media Relations Manager
[email protected]
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/stay-cyber-safe-this-holiday-season-heimdals-checklist-for-business-security-302337465.html
Fintech PR
According to Tickmill survey, 3 in 10 Britons in economic difficulty: Purchasing power down 41% since 2004
The people who have the most problems are women (30%) and are between 35 and 49 years old (39%)
ROME, Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The purchasing power in the UK has dropped by 41% over the last 20 years. Today, £100,000 left in a bank account since 2004 without being invested would now be worth £59,021.
This figure is one of the findings from a study conducted by Tickmill, an international online trading broker that compared the economic situation in the UK and the European Union through the infographic “Purchasing Power and Cost of Living: UK vs EU”.
The analysis reveals a slight decline of 0.4% in the UK’s purchasing power, which currently stands at £41,573. In contrast, the European Union has seen a modest rise of 0.1%, reaching £40,874.
Why is purchasing power declining in the UK? One key factor is the cost of living. If the UK were still part of the European Union, it would rank as the fifth most expensive country, behind Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Unsurprisingly, 3 in 10 Britons are struggling with the cost of living. Women (3 in 10, compared to 25% of men), those aged between 35 and 49 (4 in 10), households earning less than £15,000 (6 in 10), and single parents (1 in 2) are among the most affected groups.
Among UK nations, Northern Ireland is the hardest hit, with 34% of its population facing financial difficulties, followed by Wales (31%), England (28%), and Scotland (22%). In England, the North East has the highest percentage of people struggling, with 4 in 10 residents affected. Even in London, the high costs impact 1 in 4 adults.
In response to these challenges, Britons are making significant adjustments:
- 53% have cut back or delayed spending on smaller items like eating out, entertainment, subscriptions, clothing, toys, books, etc.;
- 52% have reduced household energy consumption;
- 48% have decreased their grocery spending;
- 41% have scaled back or postponed major expenditures, such as holidays, cars, and weddings;
- 26% are working longer hours, taking on overtime, or pursuing additional jobs to earn extra income.
The British also made changes on the financial side. One in four adults has been forced to dip into their savings or investments to cover daily expenses. Moreover, 44% have stopped saving or investing entirely or have reduced their savings and investments—a 4% increase compared to 2023.
The lack of investment is another critical factor contributing to the decline in purchasing power. It is estimated that 13 million UK residents hold £430 billion in cash deposits but do not invest. The reasons? Seventy-four percent say they cannot compare investment products effectively, and 43% are afraid of losing their money.
A lack of knowledge and fear are preventing many savers from taking advantage of an important opportunity: preserving or increasing their purchasing power in the long term.
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2586123/Tickmill.jpg
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