Executive Management Team

Laurent Blanchard

Chief Executive Officer

Laurent was appointed as Ingenico’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and as a Member of the Supervisory Board in April 2023. He works closely with the regional teams to support customers and accelerate Ingenico's journey towards a solutions-oriented business, which includes becoming the industry benchmark for payments acceptance, payments management and payments enhancement solutions while making these applicable to all markets where Ingenico operates.

Before joining Ingenico, Laurent was Chief Operating Officer of the Cegid Group, where he successfully led the company's transformation to a cloud-based software business. Prior to this, Laurent progressed his career with leading global technology companies including IBM, Compaq, HP, and Cisco. Developing his expertise in the software industry with Dassault Systems, he held a worldwide professional services remit while also overseeing its EMEA operations. During his time in North America, Laurent gained a deep understanding of the region's business landscape, working with R&D centers across the United States.

With over 25 years of global technology sector experience, particularly gained in Europe and North America, Laurent Blanchard is renowned for his dedication to international collaboration.

A graduate of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Electricité et de Mécanique (ENSEM), Laurent is French and is primarily based in Ingenico’s headquarters in Paris. He is a passionate advocate of sustainability and technology as a catalyst for business innovation. His book, “Sustainable Optimism: How New Technologies Are Already Changing the World" was published in 2010. As a Board member of B:bot in Green Tech, he continues to inspire and drive progress towards a sustainable future.

Jon Locke

Chief Financial Officer

Jon Locke was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Ingenico in June 2024. With over 30 years of experience in the public accounting and financial services sectors, Jon brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record in driving financial growth and operational excellence.

His experience encompasses a wide range of commercial, financial, operational and risk management roles, including more than 20 years on the Management Boards of several European countries. Jon most recently served as Chief Risk Officer of Nova KBM and has previously worked at companies such as Intesa Sanpaolo and Erste networks. He has a track record of successful transformation, profitability improvement and design, and delivery of process improvement programs across most areas of business.

Jon was born in the United Kingdom and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Exeter.

In his spare time Jon enjoys spending time with family and running.

Jon is based at Ingenico’s headquarters in Paris.

Mihaela Andronic

Chief People Officer

Leading Ingenico’s global People & Culture organization, Mihaela Andronic was appointed as Ingenico’s Chief People Officer in May 2023.

Enhancing the employee experience across the group, Mihaela is focused on building Ingenico’s high-performing culture and attracting, developing, and engaging the best talent worldwide.

With over 25 years of experience in the field of Human Resources, prior to joining Ingenico, Mihaela held executive leadership positions with a range of leading companies including Alcatel-Lucent, Wabco, Faiveley Transport, and Wabtec Corporation. Her strong expertise in change management, transformation and talent development across diverse geographies is playing a key role in Ingenico’s ongoing organizational transformation.

Mihaela is Romanian and is based at Ingenico’s Paris headquarters. She holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the West University of Timisoara and is currently pursuing an Executive Doctorate in Organizational Change at Ashridge Executive Education in the UK.

Mihaela shares a passion for cinema with her husband and son and between them they speak a mix of Romanian, English and French.

Senay Gurel

General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer

Overseeing the legal and compliance functions of Ingenico and extending her expertise globally to teams across multiple regions, Senay Gurel was appointed Ingenico’s General Counsel and General Secretary to the Board in 2023. Leading the Legal & Compliance organization, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of solutions that meet customers’ expectations while fully complying with prevailing legal requirements.

Senay joined Ingenico following a distinguished +18-year career navigating complex legal landscapes and delivering strategic legal counsel across the technology and payments sectors. Her extensive leadership experience includes roles at leading companies including Voodoo and PayPal, where she demonstrated her deep understanding of the legal complexities of these dynamic industries. With Voodoo.io, when appointed Group General Counsel & Company Secretary in 2019, Senay held a key role in shaping the legal framework for the rapidly growing mobile gaming company. Prior to it, at PayPal, Senay was instrumental in fostering the company’s commitment to providing secure and user-friendly financial services to millions of customers worldwide and in shaping regulations of e-money across emerging markets. Senay started her career as an M&A / Private Equity lawyer at Linklaters.

Based in Paris, Senay is a Registered lawyer at the Paris Bar, and is a Magistère & DJCE alumni, both specialized in International Tax and Legal engineering.

José Luis Arias

Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa

José Luis Arias has served as Ingenico’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Managing Director since 2019. His primary objective is to sustain and advance Ingenico's growth throughout the EMEA region, which is the company's largest geographical area.

José Luis joined Ingenico in 2010 and brings over 30 years of professional experience in technology, consulting and payments. This includes holding full P&L responsibility for more than 20 years in a wide range of countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

A Spanish national with extensive international experience, José Luis possesses a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in European Business Administration from Middlesex University (London) as well as a degree in International Business Administration from Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Madrid). After living in Spain, the United Kingdom and Brazil, he is currently based in Paris.

José Luis is married, with three children. He is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese, currently studying French. He enjoys travelling and visiting cities, reading history and running.

Anushka Weeratunga

Managing Director, Asia Pacific Region

Anushka Weeratunga was appointed Regional Managing Director for Asia Pacific (APAC) in July 2024.

Anushka brings over 20 years of experience in banking, financial services, and payments.

Anushka has a proven track record in driving accelerated business growth, strategic business development, transformational change, and new market entry through the leadership of diverse teams.

Prior to joining Ingenico in 2021 as the Managing Director of the Ingenico Pacific business, Anushka held senior management positions at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) for over 14 years. Before CBA, Anushka worked across institutional funds management, investments, and financial services.

Born in Sri Lanka, Anushka migrated to Australia as a child. Anushka is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of New South Wales (AGSM), a Graduate Diploma in Financial Analysis, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Senior Fellow of FINSIA. Anushka also holds an undergraduate degree in Science from the University of Sydney. In 2016, Anushka was named the Australian Financial Review’s BOSS Young Executive of the Year.

Anushka is based in Sydney, Australia.

Erik Vlugt

Chief Solutions Officer

In July 2023, Erik Vlugt joined Ingenico as the Chief Solutions Officer and Interim Managing Director, North America Region. His primary role involves leading Ingenico on its path to becoming a solutions-as-a-service company, with a focus on subscription-based and service-oriented solutions. Before his current role at Ingenico, Erik held the position of Senior Vice President of Product & Innovation at HM Electronics, a global company specializing in communication, audio, and software solutions for various sectors including hospitality and broadcast media.

With over 27 years of international experience in customer-focused product management, innovation, and go-to-market strategies, Erik has a strong background in leading organizational transformations. He has previously held several executive roles at notable technology companies. These include Verifone (2004-2016) and Cubic (2016), as well as HME before his tenure at Ingenico.

Erik, a native of The Netherlands, completed his degree in Computer Science and Business in Amsterdam. He has lived and worked in multiple locations, including the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, New York, California, and is currently based in Atlanta, USA.

In addition to his academic degree, Erik holds certifications from the Project Management Institute and the Pragmatic Institute. He actively contributes to Ingenico’s global operations, dedicating significant time to collaborate closely with innovation and development teams across various locations.

Patrick Blanc

Chief Technology Officer

Patrick Blanc was appointed Chief Technology Officer in February 2024. With a deep expertise in mobile commerce, payment software applications, software development and start-ups, Patrick is a seasoned global engineering leader, having spent the last two decades in the payments industry, with Paypal in the US and Singapore from 2003 to 2013, and then with Visa in the US since 2013, where he held senior executive positions. As CTO of Cybersource and Value added Services at Visa, Patrick has been instrumental in the success of its cloud-based global payment, issuing, acquiring and fraud management platforms.    

A native of France, Patrick studied engineering at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) Lyon and holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) Toulouse.

Leading all Ingenico’s Global Technology Organization, Patrick is member of the Executive Committee and based in Paris.

Patrick is married to Celine and has two children, Camille and Mathis studying at Universities in the US. When he is not spending time with his family, Patrick follows European football, and he enjoys playing golf and tennis.

Alain Stoessel

Chief Operating Officer

Appointed as Chief Operating Officer in April 2024, Alain Stoessel plays a key role in leading Ingenico's strategic transformation and in accelerating its operational efficiency and global services delivery capability. His responsibilities include driving Ingenico’s transformation program and developing strategies to improve its competitive position and ensure long-term success. Alain also has interim oversight of Ingenico’s Latin America region.

Alain has over 20 years of experience in the global investment sector, holding leadership positions at organizations such as Bain & co, Bain Capital, FCI, Core Equity Holding, Idverde and X-PM Transition Partners. His work as a consultant, senior advisor, operating partner and interim manager has given him extensive knowledge in value creation and transformation planning, especially in private equity owned companies.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD, a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from IFP School, and graduated from Ecole Polytechnique in Paris. Alain now spends most of his working time in Paris, where he collaborates closely with Ingenico’s teams to lead the company through its transformation journey.

Alain is married with three young children (ages 9, 7, and 3) who keep him young and busy. Outside of work, he is passionate about home automation and improving energy efficiency, which reflects his professional focus on innovation and sustainability.