Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO)

Fintech / Payments | UK & Europe About the Company We are an international payments company with more than five years of experience in the UK market, providing payment solutions for international businesses. At this stage of our growth, we are looking to welcome a Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) — a senior-level payments professional with deep expertise in payments and acquiring, who will become one of the key drivers of the company’s future growth. This is not a traditional sales role. The position combines business growth strategy, client and partner acquisition, product development, and building an effective business function. Key Responsibilities • Define and execute the business growth strategy, identifying new markets, merchant segments, verticals, products, and partnership opportunities. • Attract new clients and strategic partners, leverage a strong professional network, and convert new opportunities into tangible payment volumes and revenue. • Build and develop relationships with key merchants, acquiring banks, PSPs, processors, and other players across the payments ecosystem. • Lead key commercial negotiations and drive opportunities from initial engagement through launch and measurable business results. • Understand market and merchant needs and work closely with Product and Technology to shape the product proposition and develop new payment capabilities. • Drive strategic initiatives cross-functionally with Product, Operations, Technology, Risk, and Compliance. • Build and develop the business function, including teams, structure, processes, ownership, and performance accountability. Must Have • Senior-level experience in payments, acquiring, PSP, fintech, or EMI, with a strong understanding of merchant acquiring and the wider payments ecosystem. • Strong track record in Business Development, strategic partnerships, and market expansion. • Proven experience in acquiring new clients and partners and launching or scaling new commercial initiatives. • Strong understanding of payment products and the ability to connect market needs with product development and commercial outcomes. • Experience leading teams and building or scaling business functions, including organisational structure, processes, ownership, and performance management. • Ability to combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution and consistently turn initiatives into measurable results. • Fluent English. Nice to Have • A strong existing network across the payments industry, including merchants, acquiring banks, PSPs, and other strategic partners. • Experience working with regulated, complex, or high-risk merchant segments. • Experience in international and cross-border acquiring. • P&L ownership or responsibility for the overall financial performance of a business or commercial function. • Previous experience as a CBDO, CCO, Chief Growth Officer, Managing Director, General Manager, or in another role with broad business ownership. • Russian and/or Ukrainian language skills. Who We Are Looking For We are looking for more than a strong sales leader. We need someone who can see the business as a whole — identify where the company should grow next, bring new business opportunities, clients and strategic partners, understand market and product needs, and build the internal capabilities required to turn those opportunities into sustainable growth. As the business continues to grow, the role offers significant potential to expand both its scope of responsibility and overall impact.