The change comes at a strategically important time: Payrexx is focusing on penetrating the DACH region and preparing to enter the European market. Central to this is applying for the payment institution license in Liechtenstein through the subsidiary Payrexx Europe AG.

With Anja Traum, Payrexx gains an experienced leader from the European payment industry. She previously held a senior position as Managing Director at a leading payment service provider in Germany: Anja Traum was instrumental in the growth of Concardis, which was later acquired by Nexi. Her in-depth market knowledge and success in scaling organisations make her the ideal candidate to drive the DACH expansion.

Profound experience for the next development phase

Anja Traum's main task will be to set up Payrexx's organisational structures so that the company is prepared for the next big step. The Payrexx board is satisfied with the choice. "With Anja Traum, we gain an acknowledged expert with many years of leadership experience in the DACH payments sector," says Robert Bornträger, Chairman of the Board of Payrexx. "Her deep understanding of the German market is crucial for our expansion plans. We are convinced that she is the right person to lead Payrexx into the next growth phase, which will be initiated by applying for the payment services license in Liechtenstein." On her career path, she has repeatedly demonstrated that her commitment stands for profitable growth and a positive public image, Bornträger adds: "Anja values creating a working atmosphere in which employees can enthusiastically harness their potential."

Anja Traum is motivated to take the next step with Payrexx: "Payrexx's vision to radically simplify payments for SMEs immediately convinced me. With my experience from large companies in the payment sector, particularly in the highly competitive German market, I now want to help Payrexx create the necessary organisational structures. We are positioning Payrexx at the next level to be optimally prepared for the upcoming major leap into Europe."

From spin-off to leading payment provider for SMEs

Ivan Schmid, who built Payrexx 10 years ago as a spin-off of Comvation AG and developed the company into a leading omnichannel payment platform for Swiss SMEs, has decided after long-term leadership to relinquish operational management – after a successful development phase with now 50 employees, a transaction volume of 1 billion EUR and an average revenue growth of 61% in the last 5 years. He will focus on developing new projects in the future but will remain with the company as a member of the board.

Chairman of the Board Robert Bornträger appreciates Schmid's achievement: "Ivan Schmid has made Payrexx what it is today – an innovative and reliable force in the Swiss fintech market. The next phase will be characterised by international growth. Therefore, we wanted to take the opportunity to strategically complement the leadership with specific experience from the target markets. Anja Traum brings all these prerequisites."

The decision to hand over operational business is justified by the serial entrepreneur Ivan Schmid, who has already founded several companies such as Hotelcard, the agency Comvation and the Astalavista Group in Chur, with his entrepreneurial philosophy: "It has always been my conviction that every company needs a leader who fits optimally to the respective development phase at the given time. I am proud of what we have built. My thanks go to the shareholders for their long-standing trust and support, as well as to the entire team, which has significantly contributed to our success with responsibility, commitment and cohesion. I look forward to Payrexx's future with optimism and am excited about the new phase."