Network International announces senior appointments

Network International, the leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), has announced senior appointments to its corporate executive team in the UAE.

The company has recruited leading talent in the global payments industry as it prepares for vertical and geographical expansion across its core Middle East and African markets. The recent appointments include:

Andrew Key as Managing Director - Head of Processing Business, an executive leader with an impressive track record of success. Andrew was most recently the President of Elavon Europe, a subsidiary of US Bancorp (USB), responsible for the entire P&L of the European business of Elavon and has previously held key positions in organisations such as MasterCard, Lloyds Banking Group and Barclaycard.

Paul Clarke as Head of Product and Innovation, responsible for transforming Network International into a world-class product and innovation-centric organisation. Paul was previously Managing Director at Barclaycard Payment services and in previous tenures in payment majors such as Elavon Merchant Services and RBS PLC, was responsible for the product portfolio across key markets in Europe, Mexico and South America.

Andrew Hocking as Chief of Staff and Group Chief Strategy Officer. Andrew was previously Head of Strategic Planning at Elavon with a reputation for high value interventions that have delivered value and profitability. Andrew has also previously worked at Barclaycard and at Absa, where he led the bank’s strategy and change management function for their card business.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Network International, Simon Haslam commented, “This is an exciting time in Network International’s transformational journey as we structure our organisation for faster growth and continue to strengthen our value proposition to clients. Each of our new appointees has been handpicked for their key capabilities and track record in managing change, driving profitability and fostering innovation. We are growing fast and with a management team that boasts nearly 200 years of collective experience in developed and emerging markets, we are gearing up for an exciting new phase.”

Other recent appointments at Network International include Charles Lobo, Chief Operating Officer; Jaishree Razzaq, General Counsel and Head of Compliance; and Matt Sinclair, Group Chief Information Officer.

Network International is jointly owned by Emirates NBD, one of the largest banking groups in the UAE, and global investment firms Warburg Pincus and General Atlantic. IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the IFC Middle East and North Africa Fund, a fund managed by IFC Asset Management Company, has a combined indirect equity investment of $30 million via the WP/GA consortium fund. Following its acquisition of Emerging Markets Payments Holdings (EMPH), Network International continues to seek strategic investments in the region to drive its expansion plans.