Bank payment company GoCardless has strengthened its partnership team with two strategic hires, both with responsibilities in Australia and New Zealand, to accelerate its path to profitability through its indirect go-to-market channel.
The fintech welcomes Yasmin Sharp as VP, Business Development, Partnerships. Sharp brings 20+ years of experience in the payments and software space, building her career in business development and account management at organisations including SagePay and Paypoint. She transitioned into partnerships during her time at WorldPay and has since held leadership positions at SAP CX and most recently Dojo.
In her new role at GoCardless, Sharp is responsible for leading small business partnerships globally, with a focus on enhancing the partner experience and driving value for customers through innovation. In Australia and New Zealand, Sharp will look to strengthen strategic partnerships with the likes of Xero and the accountancy community.
In line with GoCardless’ ambition to grow outside of its UK home market, it has also appointed Milo Cilloni as Director of International Partnerships. Based in the Paris office, Cilloni will lead the international partnerships go-to-market strategy, including the Australian and New Zealand markets.
Before joining GoCardless, Cilloni held a number of key positions in the technology industry, including at PrestaShop and Visa, where he gained valuable experience in managing strategic international partnerships.
Paul Stoddart, President at GoCardless, said, “Partnerships have been a key part of GoCardless since day one, and they’ll remain at the heart of what we do – especially as ANZ businesses look for easy ways to manage all of their operations in one place. We need to ensure GoCardless is seamlessly embedded into the platforms they use every day and we’ll work closely with our partners to deliver the best experience for customers. Having Yasmin and Milo on board will provide a big boost and I’m confident they will help us maximise the opportunities.”
Sharp said, “I’m passionate about all things payments and partnerships, so I’m extremely excited to start in this role. With around 350 partners already, our indirect channel has strong foundations. I’m here to take the programme to the next level, particularly in the way we deliver value to small businesses through our partners. I can’t wait to work with our partners and build a best-in-class experience for everyone in our ecosystem.”
Cilloni said, “GoCardless has a strong network of partners in the UK and my ambition is to replicate that success in Australia and New Zealand. We see growth opportunities and a lot of upside in all of our markets, so there’s never been a better time to join and grow the business.”
The appointment announcements follow a set of strong results for GoCardless. In its latest fiscal year (FY24), GoCardless Ltd. and its subsidiaries generated AUD$267 million in revenue. Its Australian operations demonstrated a 30% year-on-year increase in revenue and transaction volumes. Australian revenues continued to grow, now accounting for 4% of the company’s total revenue, on par with markets such as the United States.
Over the same period, GoCardless continued to expand its indirect channels, extending its strategic relationships with key partners such as Xero, Salesforce and Quickbooks, and signing new partners such as InsuredHQ.
