Paysafe Names Ex-Experian CPO Nicole Carroll Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer

Payments platform Paysafe has chosen its first ever chief strategy and innovation officer.

Nicole Caroll, a veteran of Experian, Visa and Discover, was appointed to that new role Monday (April 3), Paysafe said in a news release.

Her main role will be to develop the company’s vision and long-term strategy, while also leading its product innovation and capital expenditure programs.

“Nicole is a highly talented executive with a flair for understanding both evolving customer needs and the potential of new technologies,” Paysafe CEO Bruce Lowthers said in the release.

Lowthers, appointed as the company’s chief executive a year ago this week, added that Caroll “brings a very impressive track record of delivering exciting new innovations for the companies she has previously worked for, and this experience will be invaluable as we continue on our path to transform Paysafe and execute on our long term growth plan.”

Carroll joins Paysafe from Experian, where she served as chief product officer for that company’s decisions analytics operation.

Before that, she was a director at Visa, leading the company’s global software acceptance. Prior to that, Carroll spearheaded the launch of Discover’s first comprehensive API-driven digital product platform. She has also held leadership roles at Citigroup and Transys.

PYMNTS wrote last month that Paysafe was one of the few outliers in a season that has seen a number of FinTechs report disappointing earnings, leading to a “general malaise” that impacted virtually all of the companies in the PYMNTS FinTech IPO Index.

Paysafe gained nearly 9% on the index after its earnings report showed total payments volume was $33.1 billion, a 5% increase. The company reported revenues of $383.6 million, up 8% on a constant currency basis. Digital wallets revenue rose 7% in constant currency, and average transactions per active user were at 25.9, a 34% year on year increase.

Last week, the company expanded into Massachusetts to serve the newly legal sports gambling market by allowing players to fund their accounts by debit card, its own alternative payment methods (APMs) and third-party APMs.

Paysafe is powering payments for DraftKings, Caesars Entertainment and a number of other sportsbooks, the company said.

“We’re excited to expand into Massachusetts, my home state and an important milestone in the evolution of the U.S. iGaming industry, with its passionate sports culture and pivotal industry role in the development of daily fantasy sports and now sports betting,” Paysafe President of Global Gaming Zak Cutler said in a news release.

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