Vocalink, the international payment systems provider recently acquired by Mastercard, has appointed Rajiv Garodia as managing director of Zapp and International Sales.
Zapp is Vocalink's mobile payments arm – or Pay by Bank app as it has been named – and it is set to launch later this year after signing up Barclays, Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland as partners.
The mobile payments service had been touted for a 2015 unveiling, having secured retailers such as Sainsbury's, House of Fraser and Asda as launch partners. However, integration issues have delayed the UK introduction.
Garodia arrives at Vocalink from Western Union, where he was senior vice president & head of business for the Middle East and South Asia. He held multiple regional and global roles during his 12 years at Western Union, based out of different locations in Europe and Asia.
He brings with him over 20 years' experience in managing products, sales and marketing in the financial services and consumer goods industries. Over the course of his career he has initiated and led commercial partnerships with banks, post offices and retail organisations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Garodia commented: "Joining Vocalink at this stage in its journey is an exciting prospect; it is already a UK fintech success story and it is fast becoming a key international player.
"I am looking forward to further demonstrating the value of VocaLink's innovative products and services to both consumers and businesses around the world."
Rajiv will be tasked with growing Vocalink's Immediate Payments business internationally, and will also lead the expansion of its mobile payments business in the UK and across the globe.
In a separate statement to Essential Retail, a spokesperson for Vocalink said that Zapp CEO Peter Keenan – who led the mobile payments project from its inception in 2013 – has now left the business.
"We can confirm Peter Keenan has left Zapp," said the spokesperson.
"Peter's role was to lead a team capable of developing a brand new digital-first payment platform, designed for the mobile age, and secure widespread industry support. He has successfully achieved this. Pay by Bank app is now fully developed and we're currently undertaking live trials with our bank and retail partners, ahead of consumer launch later this year. Peter goes with our very best wishes for the future."
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