Former Afterpay Global COO appointed as CEO of Linkly
Former Senior Executive for eBay, PayPal and, most recently, Global COO for Afterpay, Frerk-Malte Feller, has been appointed CEO of Australian fintech company, Linkly.
The move comes off the back of a period of strong growth for Australia and New Zealand’s leading provider of payment integration technology, following multiple acquisitions that have increased its market offering and footprint in Australia and New Zealand.
“I’m delighted to be joining an innovative and trailblazing company such as Linkly,” commented Feller. “The company’s solutions and the recent move into online payments, have put them at the forefront of technological advancement throughout the payments ecosystem and solidified their position as a leader in the field.”
Over the past year, the payment market has seen a significant shift in consumer purchase behaviour, spurred on by the pandemic that has led to the accelerated adoption of payment technology and driven behavioural change amongst consumers, which are much more comfortable using tech in ways that they previously hadn’t.
Feller continues, “The pandemic has led Australians to trial new digital experiences, highlighted by the rise in prominence of QR Codes, and adopt them in their day-to-day life. Linkly understands the tremendous opportunity in offering further innovations, as Australia continues its global leadership role in technological development that powers an effortless lifestyle.”
Despite the increased adoption of digital payment technology, Feller still feels that ‘bricks and mortar’ stores will still play a crucial role in getting the Australian economy back to what it once was.
“Merchants of all sizes have had a difficult year and it’s not over yet,” says Feller. “But we’re committed to supporting them by improving their payment journey; providing the best solutions that allow them to grow revenue and increase efficiency. This will allow them to strengthen their business while sustaining employees, creating new jobs and developing expansion opportunities.”
Backed by technology-focused private equity firm, Potentia Capital, the appointment of Feller as Linkly’s CEO is part of a long-term, aggressive growth strategy for the company.
“To have the backing of Potentia, whose investment in Australian Fintech over the last few years has been significant to the industry, is imperative to our short and long-term goals. Their support has enabled us to focus on providing our clients with industry leading in-store and online payment solutions, alongside the development of an Australian first, true Omni-Channel solution that will be available later in the year,” finishes Feller.
As a strategic partner to the major banks, Linkly work hand-in-hand on market-leading solutions that connect payment acceptance to a smarter customer experience – experiences that merge the in-store and online environments beyond the typical use cases.
Linkly currently handles more than two billion in-store and online transactions annually, representing a significant portion of the total transactions made across Australia and New Zealand, with that number expected to rise drastically in 2021.
