Hendrik Schulenburg has been with Payrexx since 2021 and has quickly risen from a working student to Chief Financial Officer. During this time, he has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the company and driven pioneering processes forward.

Ivan Schmid, CEO of Payrexx AG, explains:

“Hendrik Schulenburg has proven himself over the past four years at Payrexx to be an extremely reliable, analytically strong, and responsible colleague. He knows our company and the payments market in great detail and brings an extraordinary level of commitment that goes far beyond the usual. His structured way of working, his pronounced understanding of numbers, and his ability to make well-founded decisions even under pressure convinced us to entrust him with this central responsibility.”

With this appointment, Payrexx reaffirms its belief that it is not age or years of service that are paramount, but expertise, integrity, and entrepreneurial thinking. Hendrik embodies precisely those qualities that are decisive for sustainable and forward-looking financial management – especially in the dynamic SME environment in which Payrexx operates as a market leader.

Since its founding in 2015, Payrexx has established itself at its location in Thun. Today, the company has over 45 employees and is one of the most innovative FinTechs in the region. With the appointment of Hendrik Schulenburg, Payrexx also aims to contribute to regional talent development and strengthen Thun's position as a growing FinTech hub.

In conversation, Schulenburg offers insights into his career path as well as his outlook on the future of digital payments and his vision for the coming years.

How is it that you are already CFO at Payrexx at the age of 24?

Hendrik Schulenburg: “I became interested in economic topics early on. That's why I did my Bachelor's in Business Administration at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and joined Payrexx as an intern during my studies. That was over four years ago now, and since then I've been able to accompany the company in various roles, experience many exciting developments, and take on more and more responsibility. I am very enthusiastic about the combination of finance and strategic development, and I am grateful to the board of directors and management for the trust they place in me with this role.”

Was it always your goal to become CFO?

“The goal of eventually becoming CFO developed over time at Payrexx. The insights I was able to gain and the topics I dealt with showed me that I would like to one day bear the corresponding responsibility. I am very pleased that I now have this opportunity at Payrexx.”

What makes Payrexx a special employer for you?

“On the one hand, the market itself – the payment industry is incredibly exciting, constantly changing, and offers a lot of room for innovation. On the other hand, I am impressed by how Payrexx has built a strong position in the Swiss payment market over the past ten years with a lot of commitment and customer proximity. We are especially proud that Payrexx was chosen in 2023 as the most popular provider for Swiss SMEs in the national online merchant survey, ahead of providers like PayPal, Worldline, or PostFinance.

That's exactly what makes Payrexx special for me: innovation with a clear focus on the needs of SMEs – with a solution that simply works and offers real added value for SMEs.”

What does leadership mean to you in a FinTech like Payrexx?

“For me, leadership at Payrexx means understanding the needs of customers and the market, always staying agile and innovative, and working together towards a clear goal. This is necessary to succeed in a dynamic market environment.”

How do you see the development of the payment industry?

“I am convinced that both online and in-person transactions will continue to move towards simplification and efficiency. For example, we can already observe that instant payments – or real-time bank transfers – are gaining global importance, and it will only be a matter of time before this becomes established in the Swiss market as well. Changes will also occur at the point of sale. The traditional payment terminal (POS terminal) as we know it today from retail will increasingly be replaced by so-called softPOS solutions in the coming years: This involves turning a regular smartphone or tablet into a fully functional payment terminal – without any additional hardware. This technological development makes card payments more flexible, cheaper, and more efficient – especially for small businesses and mobile providers.

For companies, it is important to stay up to date with such trends and to choose the right payment provider. Therefore, it is particularly gratifying that Payrexx will be able to offer its customers both of the above-mentioned solutions in the future.”

And where do you see Payrexx in 5 years?

“The question is particularly exciting. Payrexx is constantly evolving and has recently started processing not only e-commerce payments but also point-of-sale payments (payments directly at the physical point of sale, e.g., at the checkout or on-site with customers), making it a true omni-payment provider. Therefore, I see Payrexx in 5 years as the number 1 in the omni-payment sector for SMEs in Switzerland. The all-in-one solution from Payrexx with all important Swiss payment methods from a single source is unique – and particularly attractive for SMEs, as it is not only comprehensive but also available at the most affordable price in the market. Therefore, I am convinced that we will reach many more companies.”

With Hendrik Schulenburg as the new CFO, Payrexx is setting the course for further growth in the Swiss FinTech landscape. We thank you for the exciting insights and look forward to continued successful collaboration.

About Payrexx

Payrexx was founded in 2015 in Thun and, as a registered payment facilitator for Mastercard, Visa, TWINT, PostFinance, CENTI, NAKA, and REKA, enables the easy acceptance of payments – both online and on-site. As an all-in-one solution, the proprietary payment platform includes more than 200 payment methods as well as numerous simple sales tools (Pages, Paylink, Invoice, Donations, QR Pay, Terminal). All of Payrexx's systems are redundantly designed and meet the highest security standards. Over 60,000 merchants worldwide already use Payrexx, including renowned Swiss companies such as BKW, Carvolution, Zweifel Pomy-Chips AG, Hotelcard, or Selecta.