TrueLayer appoints from PayPal for head of ecommerce role

European Open Banking payments network TrueLayer has hired Michael Brown from PayPal to lead its push into retail and ecommerce.

Brown, who has been appointed head of ecommerce at TrueLayer, was previously director of UK enterprise sales at PayPal.

In that role, he led the company’s growth strategy across retail, grocery, igaming and travel, reporting to UK and EMEA management teams.

TrueLayer recently announced a partnership with Topps Tiles, making it the first major UK retailer to offer Open Banking as an in-store payment option, with instant bank transfer available at point of sale across its 300 stores nationwide.

Last year, TrueLayer launched a plugin enabling WooCommerce merchants to instantly add Open Banking payments to their checkout and it already has a partnership with online car retailer Cazoo.

Brown said: “Open Banking payments have the potential to transform customer experience in ecommerce, addressing the headaches that merchants have faced for decades in using legacy systems and outdated card infrastructure.”

He added that with increasing adoption of Open Banking by merchants and consumers alike, he is “incredibly excited about the opportunity for TrueLayer in ecommerce”.

Brown joined PayPal in 2011 as head of digital goods, working across a portfolio of merchants, including Sony, Steam, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, and prior to that, worked in strategic partnership and business development roles at Nokia for four years.

Francesco Simoneschi, co-founder and chief executive officer of TrueLayer, said: “Mike has a solid track record in driving growth across verticals and in building and leading high-performing teams.

“We are really happy to welcome him to TrueLayer as we continue to accelerate adoption of Open Banking payments in ecommerce and retail.”