Laura Rofe - PPRO - Fintech Spotlight at Money 20/20 Europe

Why It Matters

Local payment integration accelerates merchant expansion in Europe, while diversity‑driven innovation strengthens fintech competitiveness and promotes broader financial inclusion.

Key Takeaways

• Cross‑border e‑commerce growth hinges on local payment methods.
• Italy, Portugal, and Poland emerge as high‑potential European markets.
• Trust builds when merchants offer familiar, region‑specific payment options.
• Diversity and inclusion drive innovation and revenue in fintech firms.
• Financial inclusion expands access to services via cross‑border payment infrastructure.

Summary

The Money20/20 Europe fintech spotlight featured Laura Rofe of PPRO discussing the firm’s role in enabling cross‑border e‑commerce through a local‑payment‑method infrastructure. She highlighted how merchants can tap new European customers by integrating region‑specific payment options rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach.

Rofe pointed to strong growth in emerging markets: Italy posted roughly 13% revenue growth, Portugal still sees about 11% cash usage alongside card payments, and Poland has 45% of shoppers preferring online‑transfer methods such as BLIK. PPRO’s platform connects merchants to hundreds of local methods, building trust and facilitating smoother checkout experiences.

Notable remarks included the link between trust and familiar payment experiences, the industry’s slow progress toward gender parity—only two percent of fintech CEOs are women—and PPRO’s internal ESG initiatives like gender‑neutral job descriptions and measurable diversity targets. She emphasized that diversity fuels innovation and can boost revenue.

The takeaway for businesses is clear: adopting localized payment solutions is essential for scaling across Europe, and fostering inclusive cultures is not just ethical but a strategic advantage that can unlock new revenue streams and broader financial inclusion.

Original Description

During the Money 20/20 Europe event at the RAI in Amsterdam, FF News had the opportunity to meet Laura Rofe, Director of Partner Development at PPRO, to gain her insightful views into the industry, highlighting key challenges and innovations.

PPRO is a leading global provider of localised payment infrastructure and services, empowering businesses to seamlessly offer a wide range of payment options tailored to their customers' preferences across multiple markets. Leveraging its extensive network and industry expertise, PPRO facilitates efficient cross-border payments, enabling businesses to enhance their global payment capabilities and drive international growth.

“Cross-border ecommerce allows merchants to be able to expand markets, tap into new customers and really help grow their businesses significantly.”

“Only 2% of women are CEOs of fintech companies and there’s only 1 in 10 women in senior levels within organisations, so that’s something that we really need to think about. I think it’s also about educating people on what we can do to really work together to have more inclusivity.”

“Financial inclusion is about providing financial services and making them accessible to everybody, because we’re in a first world country, can you imagine not having a bank account or access to credit? We’re so used to having that, but that’s not the case for many people.”