EPISODE · Nov 30, 2023 · 48 MIN
Kamran Hedjri: Revolutionizing Commoditized Payment Processing
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Kamran Hedjri, CEO, Chairman, Advisory board member, Entrepreneur in FinTech and Payments at PXP Financial. KEY TAKEAWAYS I started my journey in payments in 1994, I never wanted to be in this industry, it was just something that happened. I was working in IT and programming, was in a couple of startups at the start of ecommerce. There was a lot of new and cool technology being developed and it was the best 5-6 years of my career for learning. AI is being used to automate processes and get a better, smoother, & more intelligent way of dealing with finance activities including customer service, onboarding, KYC & all those processes to get to a point where you can assess a customer. It took us a few years to get a unified way of approaching and understanding different sectors. There are differences between the verticals and the approached that we need to apply & we should not try to unify too much, you need to have the specifics for each sector & add your special nuances for all of those sectors in the language those sectors understand. Don’t be afraid of failing. Fail a lot and early and try to learn from them quickly & work harder. BEST MOMENTS ‘One of the good things about open banking & finance is that the APIs are getting more & more slim-lined.’ ‘Intelligence should be in front of you making things more intuitive & less complicated & burdensome.’ ‘The journey’s always ongoing, you’re always learning, building new technology & adapting it.’ ‘It’s our job to simplify complexity in a way that can be used in an easy & cost-efficient way.’ ABOUT THE GUEST CEO, Chairman, Advisory board member, Entrepreneur in FinTech and Payments. Kamran Hedjri has 20+ years of experience in holding C-level roles in the fintech & payments industry. He has built companies across the payment value chain in Europe, North and South America, and is currently on the board of PXP Financial Group and C2D Payment Solution. He has always been focused on driving innovation, accelerating growth, and building a great customer experience. ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
What this episode covers
In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VdL is joined by Kamran Hedjri—CEO, Chairman, board advisor, and long-time fintech and payments entrepreneur—to unpack what it really takes to build, scale, and survive in one of the most complex ecosystems in financial services. Kamran’s journey into payments didn’t start with a grand vision. It started almost by accident. Coming from IT and programming in the early days of e-commerce, he found himself at the intersection of technology, finance, and experimentation—during what he describes as the most intense learning period of his career. The lesson is immediate: growth rarely follows a straight line, and the leaders who thrive are those who stay curious while the ground shifts beneath them. The conversation quickly turns to AI and automation—not as buzzwords, but as operational reality. Kamran explains how AI is already transforming customer service, onboarding, KYC, and risk assessment, creating smoother, faster, and more intelligent financial processes. The goal isn’t to add more layers of technology. It’s the opposite: to make complexity disappear for the user. But simplification doesn’t mean standardisation at all costs. One of Kamran’s most pragmatic insights is about resisting the urge to over-unify. Payments may look similar from the outside, but each vertical speaks a different language and operates under different constraints. Success comes from understanding those nuances—and designing solutions that respect them. One-size-fits-all is a growth killer. Failure is another recurring theme. Kamran is refreshingly direct: don’t fear it. Fail early. Fail often. Learn fast. In fast-moving markets like fintech, the real risk isn’t getting it wrong—it’s waiting too long to find out. Progress belongs to teams that experiment with intent and adapt relentlessly. Throughout the episode, a clear leadership philosophy emerges: intelligence should work for you, not against you. Whether it’s open banking APIs becoming leaner, AI sitting “in front” of decision-making, or platforms designed to reduce friction rather than add it, Kamran’s focus is consistent—build systems that are intuitive, cost-efficient, and scalable without losing sight of the customer experience. This conversation is for founders, fintech executives, and enterprise leaders navigating digital transformation under regulatory, operational, and market pressure. It’s a reminder that innovation isn’t about chasing every new trend—it’s about making smart technology choices that actually move the business forward. The journey, as Kamran puts it, never really ends. You keep learning. You keep building. And you keep simplifying—while everything else gets more complex.
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Kamran Hedjri: Revolutionizing Commoditized Payment Processing
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