Toronto’s Plooto, a payment automation solution for small-to-midsize businesses, is stacking its C-suite with “power player” picks.
The Canadian fintech recently welcome three new executive leaders to the firm: Abe Knell as Chief Revenue Officer, Chelsea Bailey as Chief People Officer, and Christopher Wassenaar as Chief Compliance Officer.
The new hires build on executive appointments from last year.
“As Abe, Chelsea, and Christopher join our team, I am both excited and confident that Plooto is poised to unlock critical cash management control for even more businesses across North America,” stated Wajdi Ghoussoub, Plooto’s interim Co-CEO.
Abe Knell has spent 25 years building high performing revenue teams through various stints, including co-founding Workfront, a project management solution acquired by Adobe for $1.5 billion.
“Having co-founded and operated within startups, I have deep empathy for the challenges SMBs face in today’s economic landscape when it comes to cash management,” says Knell. “I’m excited to build the go-to-market functions at a company connecting world class payment operations with other core business tools.”
Chelsea Bailey joins Plooto with over 20 years of experience at companies like Google and X, the moonshot factory, bringing with her a dedication to fostering workplace well-being and critical subject matter expertise in scaling teams.
“Leading the People function at Plooto represents an opportunity to be part of something truly transformative,” Bailey says. “This is a company that is not only reshaping the way businesses manage their finances, but also making a positive impact on business owners and finance professionals by helping them reclaim their time and energy through more efficient processes.”
Christopher Wassenaar, has led international expansion, merger integration, regulatory compliance, and payment licensing projects in the United States, Canada, and the UK across a decade-and-a-half. He is poised to navigate a highly regulated financial ecosystem in Canada and globally as Plooto expands its channel partners, platform capabilities, and customer base.
“Having witnessed my father build his first business from the ground up as an immigrant to Canada, I know what obstacles SMBs face, and Plooto’s support for entrepreneurs resonates deeply with me,” says Wassenaar. “The opportunity to make financial services more accessible to the SMBs who need easy-to-use solutions, and to trust the security of those solutions, is a driving force for me.”
In 2024, Plooto’s executive leaders will build on the company’s momentum by “scaling go-to-market motions” and “executing a strategic product roadmap” as it partners with businesses across North America to unlock their growth, according to a statement from the fintech.
Recognized on both the Deloitte Fast 500 North America and Fast 50 Canada lists, Plooto remains “laser focused on helping SMBs attain financial growth by making robust payment operations and cashflow management solutions accessible,” according to Ghoussoub.
“As part of our commitment to our customers’ success, we have invested in leaders that will ensure Plooto is effective in achieving that mission,” said the CEO.
Founded in 2015, Plooto raised US$20 Million in 2022 and today serves over 10,000 companies across North America and continues to experience exponential growth as businesses seek efficiency and support for complex payment workflows.
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