Abrantix appoints new CEO

Taking the step from Worldline to Abrantix was logical for Roger Niederer: “I’ve known Abrantix for a long time. Abrantix’s products are unique and provide significant added value to the customer. Especially the ReconHub® solution makes it possible to redefine payments from the merchant’s perspective. This presents us with excellent market opportunities. I am looking forward to driving the global scaling and product focus together with the highly professional and ambitious team”, explains Roger Niederer.

Former Abrantix CEO and founder Daniel Eckstein is looking forward to leading Abrantix into the future together with Roger Niederer. From now on, Daniel Eckstein himself will be focusing on payment innovations as the company’s Chief Visionary Officer. “We do not lack the vision, skills, or creativity to shape the future of payments. On the contrary, Roger Niederer is the right person to get our vision off the ground and to replicate success within the appropriate framework.”

Swiss payment champion on course for internationalization 
When the CMO of one of the world’s largest acquirers meets the internationally successful payment provider from Zurich, it can only mean great things are happening. Roger Niederer can confirm: “When it comes to product development, Abrantix has unbeatable know-how. ReconHub is an excellent product. Combining this with test automation and the many years of experience in terminal software development will pave the way for offering merchants even more services in the future,” explains Roger Niederer.

To boost the Abrantix vision further, the executive management team expanded to seven members in the last year. As CEO, Roger Niederer will lead business operations. Daniel Eckstein will advance payment innovations as Chief Visionary Officer. As the president of the Board of Directors, Daniel Eckstein will furthermore be responsible for developing the medium- to longterm strategy together with the executive management team. The executive management team is completed by Christian Vetsch, Chief Market Officer, Matthias Malär, Chief Sales Officer, Adrian Zimmermann, Chief Operational Officer, Martin Gloor, Chief Product Officer and Luzius Tiefenauer, Chief Technology Officer.

Ready for global success
The world of payments is changing. Merchants want simplicity but are faced with ever-increasing complexity: a variety of payment options, POS, eCommerce and mCommerce, multi-/omni-/crosschannel, real-time banking, and blockchain technology lead to greater complexity for retailers. “Right here is where we are setting the goals of our vision: We want to simplify the lives of merchants,” says Roger Niederer.

Focus on merchant experience
Abrantix is well positioned for the next steps of expansion. In 2019, 35 team members were employed by the paytech innovator from Zurich; today, there are already 100 employees. “In 2022 alone, we’ve already had 30 new joiners. And we are still recruiting,” explains Daniel Eckstein. During the corona crisis, Abrantix could further emancipate itself from project-based business and flex its muscles with its products. “Last year, we were able to automatically reconcile and post over 2,8 million CHF for our customers. Over 140 robots and card multiplexers are in daily use on all continents. We are pleased to be gaining new customers every day.”

Extensive know-how and a solid customer base have been built up over the last two decades with the help of agile projects. Now the focus will extend to retailers, whereby Abrantix can combine its extensive knowledge in the IT and software development of payment methods with its reconciliation tools and the merchant experience. Roger Niederer sees great growth potential, especially in the merchant experience: “Daniel Eckstein’s team has achieved a lot in the last few years. Now we are taking the next steps. We are setting the ambitious goal of revolutionizing payments and making them easier for merchants. The focus on merchants is our credo, and it will always guide us. I’m looking forward to pursuing this goal with the highly motivated Abrantix team,” says the new CEO.

About Roger Niederer
Roger Niederer knows the complete payment business spectrum. The new Abrantix CEO is the former Chief Market Officer of Worldline Merchant Services. In this role, he demonstrated how to implement profitable, scalable, and sustainable international growth successfully. He was largely responsible for various expansion projects, including market entries into Australia, Japan, and Northern Africa. Up until the acquisition of Worldline by SIX Payment Services in 2018, the new Abrantix CEO was responsible for all SIX Payment Services merchant business in Switzerland and worldwide. Before this, he was the CEO of the former PayLife Bank GmbH in Vienna, which was acquired by SIX in 2015. Before his time in Vienna, Niederer was responsible for the entire operational business of SIX Payment Services as Head of Operations. He originally started his career in the accounting department at SIX Management (formerly Telekurs). He was the Head of Financial Accounting, Tax and Treasury of SIX Group until his switch to SIX Payment Services at the end of 2009. Roger Niederer was born on 20 January 1971 in Rüti, ZH. He is married and the father of four daughters. Besides the future of payments, he is passionate about football and traveling with his family.