Kristel will support a seamless leadership transition, while resuming his role as an operating partner with Greater Sum Ventures (GSV), Stax’s control investor.

Previously CEO of Paysafe’s Integrated and E-commerce Solutions division, Paulette Rowe is a seasoned global executive with strategic leadership experience across banking, payments and fintech. Known for growing and transforming businesses, driving market growth, and building winning cultures with strong customer alignment, she has held senior leadership positions with organizations such as Barclays, Meta, Royal Bank of Scotland/NatWest, and GE Capital.

Widely recognized as a prominent figure in financial circles, Rowe has earned multiple accolades as one of the “Most Influential Women in Payments,” among other honors. In her new role, she will focus on guiding growth and operational strategies across Stax’s software and payments portfolio, which is designed to help merchants and SaaS platforms grow and thrive by eliminating transactional friction between these businesses and the customers they serve.

Paulette Rowe commented: “Stax has experienced fantastic organic and inorganic growth in recent years, carving out an enviable niche as a disruptor and a leader in the payments landscape. I’m delighted for the opportunity to work with this dynamic team in developing innovative solutions that simplify and enhance integrated payments.”

“Following an extensive global search, we’re pleased to welcome Paulette to Stax,” said Ross Croley, founder and CEO of GSV and chairman of the board of Stax. “An accomplished executive with a breadth of experience, Paulette understands the complexities of the industry and inspires teams to greater success. We’re confident Stax will flourish under her leadership and remain grateful to John for his guidance and dedication.”

Since 2014, Stax has grown to process over $30 billion in payments and serve more than 30,000 businesses across the United States and internationally. Notably, Stax has led pioneering subscription-based pricing, as well as omni-channel experiences by combining card-present and not-present solutions, and provides both out-of-the-box and API-based solutions for direct merchants, independent software vendors (ISVs), and merchants of ISVs.