Geidea, one of the regionโs fastest-growing and most trusted fintech companies, has announced the appointment of Pankaj Kundra as Chief Executive Officer of Geidea UAE, effective August 25, 2025. The appointment marks a significant milestone in Geideaโs growth strategy as it accelerates innovation, strengthens market leadership, and drives the future of digital payments in the UAE and beyond.
With more than 25 years of international experience in fintech, payments, and banking, Pankaj brings a wealth of expertise in digital transformation, enterprise payments, and large-scale growth strategies across the Middle East, Africa, and India. His proven leadership in retail banking, product innovation, and strategic partnerships makes him uniquely positioned to scale Geideaโs UAE operations at a time when the country is experiencing unprecedented digital and economic transformation.
Prior to joining Geidea, Pankaj served as Senior Vice President & Group Head at Network International, where he was instrumental in driving enterprise acquiring, securing record-setting revenues, and forging strategic merchant alliances. His career also includes senior leadership roles at Idemia, Mashreq Bank, and Citibank, where he consistently spearheaded initiatives that leveraged technology to deliver seamless, secure, and customer-centric financial solutions.
Speaking on his appointment, Pankaj Kundra, CEO of Geidea UAE, said: โI am truly honored to lead Geidea UAE at such a pivotal time for the fintech ecosystem. The UAE is at the forefront of digital transformation, and Geidea is uniquely positioned to enable this journey by empowering businesses of all sizes with cutting-edge Omnichannel payments and commerce solutions.ย My focus will be on building a stronger ecosystem through innovation, strategic partnerships, and customer-first experiences that deliver value for our customers and stakeholders.โ
In his new role, Pankaj will spearhead Geidea UAEโs growth agenda by expanding its product portfolio across payments, merchant solutions, and digital commerce, while deepening relationships with financial institutions, governments, and enterprise clients. He will also champion the adoption of secure, scalable, and next-generation payment technologies that support the UAEโs ambition of becoming a global hub for digital innovation. Alongside this, Pankaj is committed to investing in talent development and building high-performance teams to accelerate Geideaโs expansion across diverse customer segments.
Abdulla Al Othman, Founder & Chairman of Geidea, commented: โGeidea has always stood for making financial technology accessible, affordable, and intuitive. Pankajโs depth of expertise, industry credibility, and leadership track record make him the ideal leader to guide our UAE business into its next chapter. With his vision and experience, we are confident in our ability to set new standards of excellence in the fintech sector across the Middle East.โ
Pankaj holds an Executive MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an MBA in Marketing from the Institute of Management Studies in Indore, India.ย His strong academic foundation, combined with decades of hands-on leadership in some of the worldโs most competitive markets, positions him as one of the regionโs most influential voices in fintech and payments.
As Geidea expands its footprint in the UAE, Pankajโs leadership will be crucial in delivering on the companyโs mission: to reshape the digital payments landscape by providing secure, seamless, and innovative financial solutions that fuel business growth and economic progress.
