Worldline is a global leader in the payments industry and the technology partner of choice for merchants, banks, and acquirers. Powered by 20,000 employees in more than 50 countries, Worldline provides its clients with sustainable, trusted and innovative solutions fostering their growth. Services offered by Worldline include in store and online commercial acquiring, highly secure payment transaction processing and numerous digital services. In 2021 Worldline generated a proforma revenue close to 4 billion euros.
Tell us a bit about you, what you do and your company. Which elements do you consider key success factors in your business model?
I am passionate about companies and people that don't stop to work hard and stay ahead of their personal transformation curve by maintaining integrity, ambition, and social intelligence. As Global Sales Director Travel & Hospitality, offering over 26 years of experience in the payment industry, motivating a team to produce exceptional results, my team and me support customers on their individual transformation journey, with a focus on card payment transformation and digitalization.
Worldline is the EU leader in payment services with an annual proforma revenue close to € 4 billion, 20.000+ employees in 50+ countries, serving a global client base. We strive to create the firm of the future. We believe that bringing people, business & technology together is the way forward to be successful. At Worldline, we embrace this journey, striving to remain the trusted partner that delivers digital empowerment to our clients.
Being a global provider that covers de full payment value chain, from payment terminals to transactional processing, acquiring and dynamic currency conversion services, offering a complete omnichannel payment experience makes us a key differentiator. We are aware that the travel & hospitality industry have specific needs, therefore we’ve a set up tailored payment solutions and a dedicated team to support travel & hospitality groups.
What are some of the biggest challenges for the payment industry right now?
The payment landscape has grown in complexity and will continue to do so. However, consumers increasingly expect the payment experience to be simple. They do not want to consciously think about or choose the channel or payment method to use. And they do not want to keep multiple cards in their physical wallets, use multiple e-wallets on their phones, or even install different apps depending on who and where they are paying. We call this chasm between the complexity of the payment landscape and the simplicity desired by consumers the payment experience gap. We are convinced that this gap will continue to grow. We are equally convinced that those organisations who can successfully understand and bridge this gap will be better placed to compete in their markets and deliver long term prosperity.
Businesses everywhere will need to bridge this gap. Doing so, will require great skill, ingenuity, innovation and technical know-how. These trends will bring a changed world. Orders will be placed and paid for autonomously. New business models, digital currencies and traceability solutions will enable greener solutions. And the fight against fraud and counterfeit goods will enter new realms. These changes will be powered by AI-based hyper automation and data-sharing, which will be enabled through privacy-preserving technologies to ensure security and trust.
Why be a Sponsor of CON-X 2022?
After attending the 2019 edition we knew that we wanted to collaborate somehow in this great event that brings together relevant players from the travel & hospitality industry. It’s a great opportunity to meet again face-to-face, network and start conversations with relevant companies from the industry.
Why would you recommend this event to key influencers in the travel industry?
If you are a travel & hospitality company, this is an event you can’t miss. Now that we are getting back to “normal” and that travel restrictions finally seem to be over, this is a great opportunity to meet again with peers in the industry. Have a close look on how your competitors are facing these difficult times and learn from the best minds in travel in Europe about their work and their perspectives in the travel industry.
What do you think are some of the biggest opportunities for the travel industry in 2022-2023?
The travel industry has faced a lot of challenges in 2021, but it has recovered well in the second half of the year. Most importantly, where it has recovered, it’s done far better than expected. Business travel – which many thought would be permanently weakened – has come back quicker and stronger.
Increasingly, travel restrictions are not a barrier. While the pandemic has seen some restrictions reintroduced, they have generally been short-term, and governments have often thought better of their initial restrictions.
Against this backdrop, the recovery is likely to continue. But travel & hospitality groups must be nimble to take advantage and getting the right payment processing in place is a vital part of that. It’s about centralising every
aspect of the payment journey in a fully integrated way. This can help travel & hospitality groups improve their service offering at a time when staff are hard to find, gain valuable insights into their customers when traditional loyalties have been hard to manage, and build a better and more sustainable business for the future.
Looking ahead to the next year, what are your top two or three priorities for ADAPT. PIVOT. GROW?
We see five key priorities to support growth for Travel & Hospitality groups:
Seamless self-check-in/ check-out, some travellers will still want a friendly face to greet them at reception. For others, hygiene fears, convenience and speed will take precedence. Guests increasingly like the flexibility of being able to check in ahead of time. Biometric payment, fingerprint or facial scanning can help reduce fraud and enable contactless transactions. The technology is there to facilitate this trend and people are already using it to make digital payments and gain access to their devices. AI and machine learning can help companies manage complaints or give directions and tips to manage the customer experience. For example, Intelligent Travel Assistants work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, supporting customers around the clock. Modular payment solutions allowing customers to pick and choose the options that work for them. In-app payments for room service, concierge services and other ancillary services This will impact on room service efficiency and increase spending by guests. Some apps will simply link to an in-house kitchen, while others will facilitate links to external restaurants and take-aways. These apps can also provide valuable analytics on which services people are using.