Mr. Paolo Montessori has worked in the telecommunications industry for more than 20 years and is a well-recognised figure in the global mobile VAS market with a particular focus on mobile money solutions. He has been closely involved in both commercial and solution design in the field of mobile money and payments, having led projects for numerous industry leaders.
Mr Montessori’s experience extends to the telecom and financial services industries in Australia, the Middle East, South Asia, Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America, encompassing both emerging and developed markets where mobile money is experiencing rapid growth.
Mr Montessori is also a Non-executive Director of HomeSend, a joint venture of eServGlobal, MasterCard and BICS. HomeSend is a global payment hub service which enables B2B cross-border and cross-network value transfers through a single connection.
Tell us about your role at eServGlobal
“I am the CEO & Managing Director or eServGlobal, as well as a Non-executive Director of the HomeSend joint venture.
eServGlobal is an internationally recognised provider of mobile financial solutions to emerging markets. My role is to oversees all aspects of our operations, strategy and customer projects. Our customers trust us to be one step in front of the market trends, and a key part of my role, is working closely with our team to ensure a continual focus on innovation and leadership in our space.”
What’s unique about your proposition in the market?
“There are two compelling needs which exist today for mobile money in emerging markets. The first is a demand, on a domestic level, for an end-to-end mobile financial service solution which can provide a pivot point in the move towards real, worldwide financial inclusion.
Secondly, with one in seven people worldwide living outside their country of birth, there is a need for an international mobile money transfer solution that is fast, affordable and safe. eServGlobal is uniquely positioned to address both of these needs. We provide comprehensive mobile money solutions which put feature-rich mobile financial services which cover the full spectrum of mobile wallet, mobile remittance, mobile financial services, recharge, promotions and agent management features. Our platform is a comprehensive domestic mobile money offering.
Our domestic mobile money solution natively interfaces with the HomeSend global payment hub, which allows consumers to send money to and from mobile money accounts, payment cards, bank accounts or cash outlets – regardless of their location or that of the recipient.
What do you regard as the next steps for solutions in your sector?
As mobile money deployments in emerging markets mature, service providers will look for ways to deepen their offering beyond money transfer and payment; I believe the next step will be to extend micro-finance services facilitated by the mobile. By enabling services such as micro insurance, savings or loans to be linked to a mobile money deployment, there is a real opportunity to significantly extend financial inclusion to the 2.5bn working age adults who are currently ‘unbanked.’
How has your business benefitted from Juniper Research?
As a company operating in a rapidly evolving space, it is important to be able to source accurate, reliable and current research. Juniper Research has demonstrated that they are at the forefront of market intelligence in the mobile money and mobile financial services space. At eServGlobal, we have referred to their findings on a regular basis in recent years as we consolidate our position in this growing space.