Network International appoints Marcello Baricordi as President for Financial Institutions, Fintechs and Payments Partnerships

Network International, the leading enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, has announced the appointment of Marcello Baricordi as President for Financial Institutions, Fintechs and Payments Partnerships.

In his new role, Marcello will lead a newly-formed client-focused business unit serving Network's financial institution, fintech and payment partners across all the geographies in which the company operates in. Marcello will have end-to-end responsibility of Network’s go-to-market strategies, product development and marketing, sales and delivery of the solutions built around the segment’s needs.

With more than two decades of payments industry experience, Marcello joins Network after a successful 12-year career spanning multiple leadership roles at Visa across strategy, operations, business planning and sales. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President - General Manager for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at Visa, responsible for all the operations in the region. Prior to Visa, Baricordi worked at First Data International in Italy where he was responsible for business development across major Italian banks. Previously, he was senior manager at A.T. Kearney where he focused on the payments sector, supporting large international organizations in developing go-to-market strategies.

Nandan Mer, Group CEO of Network International, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Marcello on board at a strategic point in Network International’s expansion in the region. Marcello has an impressive track record and we are confident that his deep expertise, strong regional relationships in the financial services sector and proven success in our markets will enable us to continue to strengthen our offering to financial institutions across the region.”

Marcello Baricordi, President for Financial Institutions, Fintechs and Payments Partnerships, added: “I am excited to join Network at this pivotal moment in one of the most dynamic and promising industries in the world: payments in emerging markets. I am looking forward to holistically serve Network’s financial institution, fintech and payment partners with the ultimate aim to accelerate their transition toward the new digital payments ecosystem. Our purpose is to contribute to the growth of entire economies and the new business unit will facilitate a faster introduction of future-proof digital products and services.”