Experienced leaders in three core business units prepare the company to accelerate growth of comprehensive payments ecosystem for North American SMBs
Plooto, the payment automation solution for small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs), welcomes executive leaders Abe Knell as Chief Revenue Officer, Chelsea Bailey as Chief People Officer, and Christopher Wassenaar as Chief Compliance Officer. Bringing extensive experience in the technology sector, Abe, Chelsea, and Christopher join Plooto in key roles supporting its mission to be the financial engine putting SMBs in control of their cash management.
Recently recognized on both the Deloitte Fast 500™ North America and Fast 50™ Canada lists, Plooto has cemented a leadership team with deep fintech experience. In 2023, Plooto made key executive hires to lead marketing, risk, and strategic partnerships, with impressive stints at Varo Bank, Xero, Xoom, and PayPal on their collective resumes. More recently, SVP of Finance and Operations Wajdi Ghoussoub and Co-founder and CTO Serguei Kloubkov transitioned to the interim positions of Co-CEO to lead the company's execution of its 2024 initiatives.
“We remain laser focused on helping SMBs attain financial growth by making robust payment operations and cashflow management solutions accessible. As part of our commitment to our customers’ success, we have invested in leaders that will ensure Plooto is effective in achieving that mission,” says Wajdi Ghoussoub, Plooto’s Interim Co-CEO. “As Abe, Chelsea, and Christopher join our team, I am both excited and confident that Plooto is poised to unlock critical cash management control for even more businesses across North America.”
Abe Knell, Chief Revenue Officer
With over 25 years spent building high performing, diverse revenue teams, Abe's experience includes leading global sales at Chargebee during their post-$250M Series H expansion, scaling Jive Communications until acquisition by LogMeIn (GoTo.com), and co-founding Workfront, a project management solution acquired by Adobe for $1.5B.
“Having co-founded and operated within startups, I have deep empathy for the challenges SMBs face in today’s economic landscape – especially when it comes to cash management,” says Knell. “Plooto’s reputation for solving customer pain points with an innovative, seamless platform precedes them. I’m excited to build the go-to-market functions at a company connecting world class payment operations with other core business tools.”
Chelsea Bailey, Chief People Officer
Joining Plooto with over 20 years of experience leading strategic people programs at companies like Google and X, the moonshot factory, Chelsea brings a dedication to fostering workplace well-being and critical subject matter expertise in scaling teams. Having spent years developing an innovative approach to people development which incorporates mindfulness, Chelsea will focus on cultivating Plooto’s mission-driven employee community and establishing frameworks to scale teams that propel the company through its next phase of growth.
“Leading the People function at Plooto represents an opportunity to be part of something truly transformative — this is a company that is not only reshaping the way businesses manage their finances, but also making a positive impact on business owners and finance professionals by helping them reclaim their time and energy through more efficient processes,” says Bailey. “The passion, expertise, and camaraderie within the Plooto team are palpable, and it's evident that everyone is deeply invested in the company's success and the success of our customers.”
Christopher Wassenaar, Chief Compliance Officer
For more than 14 years, Chris has led international expansion, merger integration, regulatory compliance, and payment licensing projects in the United States, Canada, the UK, and beyond. He has previously held positions as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and various Board Secretary positions with five private equity and venture capital backed technology firms. Christopher is poised to navigate a highly regulated financial ecosystem in Canada and globally as Plooto expands its channel partners, platform capabilities, and customer base.
“Having witnessed my father build his first business from the ground up as an immigrant to Canada, I know what obstacles SMBs face, and Plooto’s support for entrepreneurs resonates deeply with me,” says Wassenaar. “The opportunity to make financial services more accessible to the SMBs who need easy-to-use solutions, and to trust the security of those solutions, is a driving force for me.”
In 2024, Plooto’s executive leaders will build on the company’s momentum by scaling go-to-market motions including partnerships, and executing a strategic product roadmap that propels the company to new heights as it partners with thousands of businesses across North America to unlock their growth.
_____________________________________________________________________
For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
