Global Technology Partners appoints Olaseni Alabede as CTO

Global Technology Partners (GTP), an MFS Africa company, has appointed Olaseni Alabede, a payments technology veteran as chief technology officer (CTO).

Before joining the GTP executive team, Alabede was the Vice President of Product Development in MasterCard’s Installments business. In this New York-based role, he was responsible for the design and development of Buy-Now-Pay-later products on the Mastercard network.

His history in the payments sector, however, dates back to the beginning of his career in 2003, when he started working as a web designer at the now-defunct City Express Bank in Nigeria. After that, he spent nearly a decade at Interswitch, growing from a project engineer to head of enterprise service management.

Commenting on the appointment, GTP CEO, Christian Bwakira, said:

• “We are thrilled to have Olaseni come on board as the new CTO for GTP. His extensive experience in both the African and international payments spaces and his clear passion for technology’s ability to improve people’s lives and help build better futures makes him the ideal person to drive us forward technologically.”

On his part, Alabede said that he is looking forward to taking charge not just of GTP’s technology stack, but the entire technology initiative behind the company and driving a strategy that enhances the company’s already strong positioning.

• “Right now, GTP provides a quality service that customers know and love. “But we will take that to the next level,” he said.

Alabede said the decision to join GTP was made primarily on the basis of the impact he believes the company, particularly under MFS Africa’s ownership, can have.

• “When you think about what MFS Africa and GTP have done in the African market, that impact is significant,” he says. “I want to be part of taking that further, helping more and more markets replace the need for cash by using seamless technology that integrates our various offerings,” he added.

Acquired by MFS Africa in June 2022, the US-based GTP is the largest processor of prepaid cards in Africa, with more than 80 banks – including UBA, Ecobank, BIA, Stanbic, Coris, NSIA and Zenith Bank – using its platform.