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Optty names veterans payment leader Steven Ritchie as Acting CEO during strategic leadership transition

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SINGAPORE, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Optty™, leading global payments technology company headquartered in Singapore is excited to announce its plans to build out its executive leadership team as it continues to deliver on its significant global partnerships.

Given its significant near term pipeline growth and new launches, Optty’s Board of Directors and Founder have determined that as Optty enters this hyper-scaling phase, the time is right to transition from a founder-led business to a professional management team structure.

Following in the well-trodden pathway of many great start-ups, Optty’s Founder Natasha Zurnamer will be stepping down from her role as CEO and into an advisory, strategic and Board Director role. While Natasha will no longer hold a day-to-day executive position in Optty, she remains a significant shareholder and advocate in the business she helped build. The Optty family is eternally grateful for her contributions in shaping their strong vision, forging transformational partnerships, and helping to build the exciting platform they have today.

Optty’s entire senior leadership team remains in place, ensuring continuity in all their operations and service delivery. The Board, Natasha and Optty’s lead investors remain fully committed to Optty’s growth trajectory, ensuring the business is well-capitalised to capture the significant opportunities ahead.

Optty’s new CEO and leadership team will bring capabilities to lead Optty through its next phase of hyper-growth and Optty expects to announce these appointments soon. In the meantime, current CPIO, Steven Ritchie, will be acting in an interim CEO role until the new leadership structure is implemented. Steve is a longtime Optty executive team member, has the full backing of the Board of Directors. Natasha will continue to provide support to the team while Optty establishes this new management structure.

Alan Miltz, Chairman of Optty would like to celebrate Nastasha’s achievements and contributions; “Natasha has done an amazing job of taking an idea to reality and establishing a business that will change the global payment infrastructure. Her superhuman energy and infectious enthusiasm will be sorely missed by the team. However, as we move into a more operational and project management phase of the business – Natasha will be able to deliver even greater value to Optty by stepping away from this onboarding phase, to give her the bandwidth to continue to support Optty’s strategy, vision and ambition as an advisor and board member. We are more excited than ever about our shared future and the value we can create together.”

Natasha Zurnamer, Founder of Optty says “It is incredible as a founder to have the support of shareholders who believed in Optty from the very beginning—when it was just a vision that I knew in my heart would be a global game-changer. It is their willingness to see the future that has brought us here, and I cannot thank them enough for their trust. The hard work and passion from our team, investors, Board of Directors and partners have been, and will continue to be, the alchemy that propels Optty to the next level. As a fintech innovator and leader in payments, Optty’s ambition now goes beyond what we ever imagined. I am incredibly excited to support our next CEO in scaling this vision and continuing to be the silent hero powering giants.”

This transition represents a natural evolution for Optty as we position ourselves for the next phase of growth. We look forward to continuing to working with our partners and changing the game providing unrivaled choice, limitless payment possibilities and complimentary services, unified through a single seamless API integration.

Natasha will join industry leaders David Budzevski, Vice President Revenue & Sales Operations Enterprise Gateway Solutions Mastercard, Scott A Przybyla, SVP Payment Sales, Kount and Equifax Co, Steffen Vollert CEO Volt, Oli Cook, CEO & Co-Founder at Ekko, Gregory Simon, Director Data Science& Global merchant product at Afterpay and Rob Sangha – Sales Director, Open Banking Mastercard as Facilitator on thought provoking panels topics discussing The rise of Super Regional Payments Hubs and the Power of Data at Pay360 in London on the 25th and 26th of March 2025.

Alan Miltz
Chair, Board of Directors
Optty Pte Ltd.

About Optty: Optty is a single integration to 145+ payment partners in 140 countries and 120 currencies and growing. Supporting; BNPL, digital wallets, credit/debit, gift cards/virtual cards, crypto, pay with points, open banking, P2P and payouts as well as ancillary services in ESG, Fraud Prevention and Tokenization. Optty’s simplified API integration, requires no further development for any payment methods to connect unlike competitors in the market saving thousands of development hours for partners. This enables a complete enablement to any merchant in under a minute. Its built-in and flexible hierarchy distinguishes it in payment orchestration, with control flowing from Scheme partners to Acquirers/Gateways and Merchants. Optty is connected finance reimagined.

www.optty.com

Inquiries: Media@optty.com

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/optty-names-veterans-payment-leader-steven-ritchie-as-acting-ceo-during-strategic-leadership-transition-302397653.html

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Hexagon Composites ASA: Eirik Løhre appointed permanent CFO

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May 5, 2026

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OSLO, Norway, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement dated 11 November 2025, where Eirik Løhre was appointed interim CFO in Hexagon Composites.

The Company is pleased to inform that Eirik Løhre has been appointed permanently to the role of CFO in Hexagon Composites, effective today.

Eirik Løhre has been with the Company since 2021 and prior to his role as interim CFO, he served as EVP Corporate Development on the Executive Team.  

“Eirik has demonstrated strong financial leadership and execution, and he has been instrumental in strengthening our financial performance. I look forward to continuing our work together to develop and position Hexagon in this next phase of growth,” said Philipp Schramm, CEO, Hexagon Composites. 

For more information:
Berit-Cathrin Høyvik, Senior Director, Communications, Hexagon Composites
Tel: +47 988 92 161, berit-cathrin.hoyvik@hexagongroup.com

About Hexagon Composites ASA
Hexagon delivers safe and innovative solutions for a cleaner energy future. Our solutions enable storage, transportation and conversion to clean energy in a wide range of mobility and industrial applications. Learn more at www.hexagongroup.com and follow @HexagonASA on LinkedIn.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/hexagon-composites-asa/r/hexagon-composites-asa–eirik-lohre-appointed-permanent-cfo,c4344308

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hexagon-composites-asa-eirik-lohre-appointed-permanent-cfo-302762250.html

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LONGPORT Whale Enters Malaysian Market with Next Generation Trading Infrastructure for Local Brokerages

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May 5, 2026

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LONGPORT Whale, with proven track record across 100+ institutional clients in Asia, makes its Malaysia debut at Bursa Malaysia Stockbroking Trade Fair 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LONGPORT Whale, a provider of AI-Ready securities trading infrastructure, is making its entry into the Malaysian market at the Bursa Malaysia Stockbroking Trade Fair 2026. The move comes as Malaysia’s Capital Market Masterplan 2026–2030 (CMP4) continues to hone in on local brokerages to modernise core systems, balancing investor experience, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience simultaneously.

Malaysian brokerages are increasingly confronted by a challenge that goes beyond front-end upgrades. Legacy architectures struggle to keep pace with digital-native investor expectations, rising cybersecurity standards, and the demand for multi-market expansion simultaneously. For many such brokerages, the question is no longer whether to modernize, but how to do so without adding complexity or disrupting the business continuity that clients depend on.

Zhong Hua, CEO, LONGPORT Whale, said, “Core trading infrastructure must support continuous evolution — in investor experience, compliance, and AI readiness — without adding unnecessary complexity. The brokerages that lead the next decade won’t be the ones with the best system today; they’ll be the ones whose systems are designed to keep getting better. LONGPORT Whale aims to bring its Asia-proven experience to help Malaysian brokers strike that balance.”

Built on a cloud-native microservices architecture and trusted by more than 100 institutional clients in Asia, Whale’s platform is engineered by industry professionals and refined through years of first-hand operational experience. For the Malaysian market, it addresses four priorities: a best-in-class trading experience validated across competitive, highly regulated markets in Asia; system resilience and performance built for institutional scale, with high system performance and output, real time risk management, and low system latency; global market connectivity spanning Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, US, and Japan without requiring system rebuilds; and an API-first, data-unified architecture that gives brokerages a practical foundation for AI adoption.

Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, where Whale serves online brokers, traditional banking firms, banks and wealth management institutes in a stringent regulatory environment, serve as the primary reference market for its Malaysia expansion. The company said it aims to work with local industry participants as both an infrastructure partner and a contributor to broader conversation on responsible modernization under CMP4.

About LONGPORT Whale

LONGPORT Whale provides integrated securities trading infrastructure to brokers, banks, fund houses, wealth managers, and family offices across Asia. Its cloud-native platform supports multi-market, multi-asset trading across front-, middle-, and back-office workflows, with a deployment model designed for regulatory alignment and long-term scalability. Website: www.longportwhale.com

Media Contact
LONGPORT Whale PR Team
Email: media@longportwhale.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/longport-whale-enters-malaysian-market-with-next-generation-trading-infrastructure-for-local-brokerages-302761411.html

SOURCE LONGPORT Whale

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Thunes and Vodacom Tanzania Unite to Power Cross-Border M-Pesa Payments Across China and Uganda

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46 minutes ago

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May 5, 2026

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Collaboration revolutionises trade & financial convenience for Tanzanian merchants and consumers

SINGAPORE, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Thunes, the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, has joined forces with Vodacom Tanzania, the country’s leading telco company, to transform cross-border trade and digital financial inclusion with Vodacom’s new M-Pesa Global Payment solution. Thanks to the collaboration, Vodacom customers in Tanzania can now seamlessly pay merchants in Uganda and China directly from their mobile phones.

This milestone solution responds to growing demand from Tanzanian traders who engage in commerce with Ugandan and Chinese markets but often face challenges with costly, slow, and insecure payment methods. With this innovation, leveraging the Thunes Direct Global Network, Vodacom aims to bridge those gaps, offering secure, real-time digital payments across borders and reinforcing its leadership in mobile money innovation in Africa.

The solution supports trade with two key markets for Tanzania. For eight consecutive years, China has been Tanzania’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade hitting $8.8 billion in 2024. In the same year, bilateral trade between Tanzania and Uganda reached approximately $2.23 billion, an increase of 64% on the previous year.

Epimack Mbeteni, M-Pesa Director at Vodacom Tanzania said: “This is more than just a payment feature, it is a catalyst for economic empowerment and a gateway for small and medium businesses and entrepreneurs in Tanzania to compete and thrive in regional and global markets. Through Thunes’ expansive and trusted Network we are enabling seamless, secure, and affordable cross-border payments that empower people, fuel trade and place M-Pesa at the center of Africa’s digital commerce future.”

Through Thunes’ Direct Global Network, customers can now send payments to merchants in Uganda using MTN MoMo and to Chinese merchants through the Alipay network, all through the M-Pesa USSD menu or the M-Pesa Super App. The process is secure, user-friendly, and eliminates the burden of traditional banking barriers for everyday traders and businesses.

Dawei Wang, SVP Network at Thunes, added: “Vodacom Tanzania joining the Thunes Direct Global Network to digitise cross-border payments is a game changer for local businesses. By combining Vodacom’s technology with Thunes’ trusted and proprietary Network, Tanzanian customers can pay partners in China and Uganda in real time. This innovation accelerates interoperability along with international trade and business growth and supports our vision of connecting the next billion end users to the global economy.”

This initiative stands as a strategic enabler for consumers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who need reliable and quick financial tools such as mobile money. A 2025 GeoPoll survey on Tanzania Financial Services and Usage found that 94% of the survey’s respondents use mobile money.

The Thunes and Vodacom Tanzania alliance is set to transform the lives of millions of consumers by dismantling cross-border barriers. By hyper-connecting Tanzania to global powerhouses like China and streamlining intra-African trade, the collaboration is helping to build an inclusive economy and grow Tanzania’s role as a force in the global market.

About Vodacom Tanzania

For more information, visit: https://www.vodacom.co.tz/

About Thunes

For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com/

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/thunes-and-vodacom-tanzania-unite-to-power-cross-border-m-pesa-payments-across-china-and-uganda-302760085.html

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