As we celebrate ten years of PaymentGenes, we asked Jeroen van Dijk, Managing Director at PaymentGenes, to reflect on this journey and share his thoughts on what has made this milestone so meaningful. From the close-knit culture we’ve built to our accomplishments in the payments industry, Jeroen’s perspective highlights what makes PaymentGenes special. Here are some key takeaways on the importance of community, purpose, and ambition as we look ahead to the next decade.
Behind ‘the one-eyed bandit’ (my laptop) on a rooftop terrace overlooking the historic centre of pittoresque ‘s-Hertogenbosch, sits a proud man. It's been ten years since Jan Joost, Michael and Bram founded PG as a payment consultancy company (“we come from the industry”) and soon after ‘stumbled’ into recruitment.
“Very proud that more than 10 years after starting PaymentGenes, it’s now a household name in the global payments arena. Managed by a beautiful team of creators and entrepreneurs, focusing on being a meaningful and trusted partner for their clients and candidates.” Jan Joost Kalff, Co-Founder of PaymentGenes.
As a consequence earlier this month, we enjoyed our end-of-summer-first-decade- event, cruising the canals of and throttling in the canal district of Amsterdam. To have all of us united in Amsterdam, as well as our colleagues from Barcelona and Redhill (London), is truly wonderful.
Let’s be honest: no place beats Amsterdam; some of us are born and raised there, and others travel the globe to have the privilege of working and living there. That adventurous attitude in life says a lot about the people that work in our company.
The first thing that attracted me to PG was the people. It was this connection and sense of belonging that prompted me to attend a networking event at the Singel in Amsterdam in the summer of 2018. The topics were relevant, the speakers knowledgeable and passionate, and the attendees were not only relaxed but also approachable, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
I immediately felt at home, surrounded by like-minded professionals. Two years later, this strong sense of community led me to join PG, together with 'my professional better half’, Ward Hagenaar.
We are a professional services organisation in the vibrant and dynamic world of payments. We provide our customers with the best in class talent (recruitment), and advice when it comes to their payments strategy and we support the implementation thereof (consultancy), amongst other things with our knowledge, which has been captured in a digital payments foundation course (training).
Our purpose as a company is to create opportunities for talents and businesses within the Payments and FinTech industry to drive innovation that makes everyday life easier and safer. That’s what makes us tick at PG.
We take great pride in having global brands as our customers. It’s sometimes hard to believe that a team of just 25 of us can achieve this. Our clients include global and regional payment schemes, leading issuers, acquirers, processors, their challengers, and some of the largest merchants with AAA brands. This is the best proof of our capabilities: what we do makes a difference and stands out from the competition.
We (cl)aim to be thought leaders in our industry. Our greatest pride comes when a company utilizes our full suite of services. In many cases, we start by building and training their team, then advising on growth strategy and supporting its implementation—or vice versa. This truly showcases the strength and relevance of our offering.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team—from juniors to seniors. Their commitment and dedication have allowed us to deliver outstanding projects to major brands like FIFA, Zalando, AmazonPay, Spotify, and Adyen. Despite our size, we never lose sight of our mission to deliver exceptional value and make our clients happy.” Bram Vreugdenhil, Co-Founder of PaymentGenes.
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Everyone at PG contributes to the company’s impact. As a people-centric organization, we place strong emphasis on supporting the success of others. This is reflected in our internal motto: "Learn, grow, and win," which speaks to our company culture.
Every day has the potential to make us better—both as individuals and as a team—in what we do and how we do it. As a continuous learning organization, we actively seek feedback from our customers, candidates, and colleagues, which helps us build stronger partnerships and increase our relevance. Success, in this sense, becomes a natural outcome of this growth. We also recognize the need to continually refine how we create the best environment for our talents to thrive, and we are committed to this ongoing development.
For many, the time spent with colleagues often exceeds the time spent with family and friends, making it essential that this time is meaningful in every way. Many team members have relocated from abroad, choosing to build their lives in a new country. This choice speaks to the character of our colleagues and the kind of environment in which they seek to work.
The relationships we share go beyond the professional realm. We are not only a team but also a close-knit group, sharing both the good and challenging moments—happiness and sadness, laughter and tears. Over the years, we’ve celebrated new beginnings, such as the birth of many ‘PG babies’, and faced deep losses, including the recent and unexpected passing of our colleague and friend, Jonathan. His loss deeply affected us all, reminding us of the strength of our bond and the importance of supporting one another through difficult times.
“What made me proud of the growth of PG was that we did it with a very close group of people. We were really a tight team crying together during sad moments but celebrating hard as team when we were hitting our targets! Also in weekends employees were seeing each other. Not as colleagues but as friends, that’s one of the reasons why starting PG 10 years ago!” Michael Tailleur, Co-Founder of PaymentGenes
As we look ahead, the path forward is filled with new opportunities. A major milestone in our journey was the merger with Headcount, a subsidiary of our strategic partner, The Conexus Group, to form PaymentGenes Recruitment in July this year. This strategic partnership strengthens our talent acquisition capabilities, combining industry expertise and a global network to empower fintech and payments firms to scale sustainably.
Our mission remains clear: to be a trusted, strategic partner for the world’s most prominent financial institutions and merchants. With our expanded recruitment services, consulting, and advisory capabilities, we are committed to being the go-to partner in the payments ecosystem, providing the people, knowledge, and resources to drive innovation and success.
At PaymentGenes, we continue to strive to be… the place to be.
Looking back on the last years, it’s clear that PaymentGenes has grown into more than just a company it's become a community where people and purpose come together. We are reminded of the impact we've made and the strong relationships we've built along the way. The future holds exciting challenges, and with our team of passionate professionals, we're ready to continue making a difference in the payments industry.
Here's to the next decade of: Learn, Growth, and Win!
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At Visa’s Issuer Enabler Open House, industry leaders highlighted key advancements in payments. Revolut is advancing a global retail banking model to overcome traditional barriers, while B2B payments in Europe remain an underutilized growth opportunity. Europe stands out with low fraud rates, driven by secure technologies like 3DS and tokenization, and Visa has enhanced A2A payment security to combat APP fraud. Visa’s partnerships with over 100 EU fintechs and the launch of Visa Flex, a single-credential solution for streamlined card management, reflect its commitment to innovation, integration, and robust security in payments across the region.
Seamless Europe 2024 gathered over 2,000 attendees to explore critical trends in payments and fintech, including fraud prevention, risk management, and AML compliance. Jeroen van Dijk and Oriane Zandvliet from PaymentGenes highlighted the event’s focus on adapting to Europe’s evolving regulations and advancing financial inclusion. The networking opportunities and personal connections made were invaluable, underscoring the importance of attending for anyone looking to stay competitive in the fast-changing digital landscape.
