Payrexx appoints a new CFO: At just 24 years old, Hendrik Schulenburg takes over the financial management of the Swiss payment provider

Hendrik Schulenburg has been with Payrexx since 2021 and, in a short time, has worked his way up from working student to Chief Financial Officer. During this time, he has made an important contribution to the further development of the company and driven forward pioneering processes.

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

Ivan Schmid

Managing Director of Payrexx AG

With this appointment, Payrexx reaffirms its conviction that age or years of professional experience are not what matters most, but rather expertise, integrity and entrepreneurial thinking. Hendrik embodies exactly the qualities that are crucial for sustainable and future-oriented financial leadership – especially in the dynamic SME environment in which Payrexx operates as market leader.

Since its founding in 2015, Payrexx has established itself in Thun. Today, the company has more than 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 to strengthening Thun as a growing FinTech hub.

In the interview, Schulenburg provides insights into his career path as well as his view of the future of digital payments and his vision for the coming years.

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

Hendrik Schulenburg: “I developed an interest in business topics early on. That's why I completed my Bachelor in Business Administration at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and joined Payrexx as an intern while still studying. That was more than four years ago, and since then I have been able to support the company in various roles, experience many exciting developments and gradually take on more responsibility. The combination of finance and strategic development really inspires me, and I am grateful to the Board of Directors and the management team for the trust they place in me with this role.”

Was it always your goal to become CFO?

“The goal of becoming CFO one day developed over time at Payrexx. The insights I was able to gain and the topics I was allowed to work on showed me that I would like to one day take on that 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 payments industry is incredibly exciting, constantly evolving and offers plenty of room for innovation. On the other hand, I am impressed by how Payrexx has built a strong position in the Swiss payments market over the past ten years with a great deal of commitment and customer proximity. We are particularly proud that in the 2023 national online merchant survey, Payrexx was voted the most popular provider for Swiss SMEs ahead of providers such as PayPal, Worldline and PostFinance.

Exactly that is what Payrexx means to 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?

“Leadership at Payrexx means to me understanding the needs of customers and the market, always staying agile and innovative, and working together toward a clear goal. This is what is needed to be able to hold our own in a dynamic market environment.”

How do you see the development of the payments industry?

“I am convinced that both online and in-person business will continue to move toward simplification and efficiency. We can already observe, for example, that instant payments – i.e. real-time bank transfers – are gaining relevance globally, and it is only a matter of time before this becomes established in the Swiss market as well. Changes will also come at the point of sale. The classic payment terminal (POS terminal), as known today in retail, will increasingly be replaced in the coming years by so-called SoftPOS solutions: a regular smartphone or tablet is turned into a fully fledged payment terminal – entirely without 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 choose the right payment provider. It is therefore particularly pleasing 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?

“That is a particularly exciting question. Payrexx is continually developing and, since recently, has been 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) and is thus becoming 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. Payrexx's all-in-one solution 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 lowest price on the market. I am therefore 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 him for the exciting insights and look forward to continuing our successful collaboration.

About Payrexx

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