PPRO Appoints Alexander Matthey as Chief Technology Officer to Lead Global Tech Strategy and AI Innovation

PPRO has appointed Alexander Matthey as Chief Technology Officer, bringing Adyen and AI startup experience to strengthen its global payments platform and accelerate innovation and scalability.

PPRO — the London-based global leader in local payments infrastructure — has appointed Alexander Matthey as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) as part of a strategic effort to strengthen its technology leadership and accelerate innovation across its global payments platform. Matthey joins PPRO following an accomplished career in payments and fintech technology, including leadership roles at Adyen and AI startup Parloa, bringing deep experience in scaling large-scale payments systems and applying artificial intelligence to complex enterprise challenges.

The appointment signals a pivotal moment for PPRO as it enhances its platform’s resilience, scalability and developer experience while embedding AI technologies across its stack to meet the demands of merchants, payment service providers and financial institutions. PPRO’s CEO, Motie Bring, emphasised that Matthey’s expertise will be instrumental in advancing the company’s vision for next-generation payment infrastructure — particularly as global commerce becomes more digital, interconnected and reliant on sophisticated technology solutions.

Key Highlights

  • New CTO appointment: Alexander Matthey joins PPRO as Chief Technology Officer, strengthening its executive leadership team.
  • Industry pedigree: Matthey previously served as CTO at Adyen and at AI-focused startup Parloa, bringing extensive experience in payments and distributed systems.
  • Strategic focus: His role will prioritise platform scalability, operational resilience and deep AI integration.
  • Next growth phase: The hire reflects PPRO’s push to innovate faster in the competitive global payments landscape.

Why This Matters

In the rapidly evolving world of digital commerce, payments infrastructure must be both robust and innovative. PPRO has carved a niche as a provider that allows merchants and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) to connect to hundreds of local payment methods through a single API — a critical service for global e-commerce and cross-border trade. The addition of Alexander Matthey as CTO underscores several important trends and competitive pressures:

1. Technology Leadership Is Core to Payments Infrastructure

As merchants demand faster, more reliable and more flexible payment solutions, providers like PPRO must invest in cutting-edge technology. AI, data-driven routing, real-time reconciliation and cloud-native architectures are becoming essential differentiators in the infrastructure layer that powers online transactions. A CTO with hands-on experience in both payments and AI integration positions PPRO to lead rather than follow this shift.

2. Competitive Edge via Scalability and Innovation

With markets like Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa seeing rapid growth in local payment adoption, platforms must scale seamlessly and securely. PPRO’s focus under Matthey is expected to centre on enhancing performance under high transaction volumes, tightening system reliability, and improving developer tooling for easier integration — all key components of modern fintech scale.

3. AI Integration Is No Longer Optional

Matthey’s background includes leading technical teams at an AI startup, indicating PPRO’s strategic intent to embed AI capabilities into its core infrastructure — from intelligent routing and fraud detection to smarter analytics and optimisation. This aligns with broader industry movement where AI is becoming mission-critical rather than ancillary technology.

Alexander Matthey’s Career Snapshot

Before joining PPRO, Alexander Matthey:

  • Served as Chief Technology Officer at Adyen, where he played a key role in scaling global payments infrastructure and led extensive engineering and data teams.
  • Most recently held the role of CTO at Parloa, an AI startup, where he led technical teams and brought complex AI solutions into production for enterprise clients across diverse sectors.
  • Brings a blend of deep technical acumen, leadership experience in high-growth environments, and a strong track record of orchestrating technology strategy at scale.

In commenting on the appointment, Matthey said he was “excited to join PPRO at a pivotal moment” and is looking forward to shaping the future of local payments by empowering talent and solving critical infrastructure challenges.

PPRO’s Growth and Tech Evolution

Founded with a mission to simplify cross-border commerce by enabling local payment acceptance at global scale, PPRO has grown its platform to serve merchants and PSPs around the world. The company’s core value proposition is built on:

  • Local payments expertise: Navigating regulatory and operational nuances of diverse markets.
  • Single API orchestration: Connecting hundreds of local payment methods through a unified interface.
  • Partnerships: Integrations with major players like Citi, PayPal and Stripe — helping businesses expand payment acceptance globally.

Amid intensifying competition from both established players and emerging fintechs, strengthening PPRO’s technical leadership signal its commitment to sustainable, innovation-led growth.

Industry Context: Payments Infrastructure Trends

Payments infrastructure is evolving rapidly due to several key industry forces:

Shift to Digital Commerce

Consumers and businesses increasingly prefer digital payment experiences with minimal friction, especially in e-commerce and mobile payments.

Localisation of Payment Methods

Global merchants must support local payment preferences — such as digital wallets, bank transfers or mobile money — which vary significantly by region.

AI and Automation as Core Capabilities

AI-driven tools are now essential for fraud detection, intelligent routing, dynamic risk scoring and personalised payment flows.

Scalability and Reliability under High Volume

As transaction volumes grow, platforms must deliver high availability, latency optimisation and fault tolerance.

Matthey’s appointment squarely places PPRO to navigate and lead through these industry shifts.