South Africa: PayPal appoints Geoff Seeley as its new CMO amid job cuts

An electronic commerce company that facilitates payments between parties through online funds transfers, PayPal has appointed Geoff Seeley as chief marketing officer (CMO).

Seeley, with a career spanning over 25 years in global brand, digital, and performance marketing, joins PayPal from CashApp and Afterpay, where he served as the global CMO and communications officer.

Prior to his tenure at PayPal, Seeley held roles at organisations such as Airbnb and Unilever. At Airbnb, he spearheaded various initiatives within the Homes business, encompassing regional brand marketing, product marketing, global media, brand partnerships, marketing analytics, and research

Global team

In his new role, Seeley will be tasked with managing the global marketing team across PayPal’s suite of brands, including the popular peer-to-peer payment platform Venmo.

This appointment comes after PayPal’s announcement of plans to cut another 2,500 jobs, representing 9% of its global workforce. According to reports, chief executive officer Alex Chriss informed staff that the decision was made to “right-size” the company by the reduction and elimination of open roles. PayPal faces increasing competition from rivals like Apple, Zelle, and Block.

According to the company, Seeley’s primary focus will be on ensuring that the value propositions of PayPal and Venmo are not only clear and compelling but also simple for customers to understand. Additionally, he aims to infuse new vitality into the PayPal and Venmo brands by capitalising on the company’s innovative heritage and robust product portfolio, while further enhancing customer trust.

Rich background

“Geoff has a rich and impressive background leading marketing teams and building brands across some of the biggest global companies,” said Diego Scotti, EVP and GM of Consumer Group and Global Marketing & Communications at PayPal. “Geoff brings over 25 years of expertise in transforming global consumer and B2B brands by leveraging cutting-edge digital and performance marketing and building strong teams focused on enhancing brand awareness and engagement with customers.”