Berlin, Germany
linkedin.com/in/atsyupko
Fintech founder and C-suite operator with 15+ years building, scaling and communicating brands in payments and financial services. Took Paybase from launch to exit as CEO, later serving as COO and Board Advisor to tomato pay. Known for translating complex product and industry stories into compelling brand narratives — as an award-winning founder, published co-author of The Paytech Book, and podcast host. Combines strategic marketing instinct with deep operating and leadership experience across startups, scale-ups and boardrooms.
EXPERIENCE
Jul 2022 – Present (Berlin) Founder & Self-Leadership Coach, Expansion Zone Coaching
- Built a coaching and personal-brand practice from the ground up, growing a client base of entrepreneurs and executives entirely through reputation, network and content — no paid acquisition.
- Cohost, The Self-Leadership Podcast (2026–present): create and produce branded content and interviews with high-profile guests, building an audience platform around leadership and self-awareness.
- Member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) since November 2022.
Jul 2022 – Dec 2023 (London, UK) Board Advisor, tomato pay
Jan 2021 – Jun 2022 (London, UK) Chief Operating Officer, tomato pay
- Shaped brand positioning and go-to-market strategy for a QR-code payments app, helping tomato pay stand out as the ethical, cashless alternative for local businesses and communities.
- Partnered with founders on company narrative and market presence through the scale-up phase, before continuing as a strategic Board Advisor.
Jul 2020 – Dec 2023 Board Advisor, trustshare
- Advised a fully-branded, embeddable escrow platform on strategy and positioning as it scaled with trusted consumer brands.
Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 Advisory Board Member, Emerging Payments Association
- Contributed governance, strategic thinking and industry insight to the UK’s leading payments membership association.
Jan 2017 – Dec 2020 (London, UK) CEO & Co-Founder, Paybase
- Founded and scaled Paybase into a leading payments API for online marketplaces, fintechs and crypto businesses — owning company narrative, investor relations and market positioning as CEO.
- Built brand visibility and industry credibility through PR, partnerships and speaking, culminating in the Women in Payments Award for Innovation (2020) and co-authorship of The Paytech Book.
- Led the company through a successful exit (2021/2022).
EARLIER CAREER
2016 – Director, Payfriendz
2015–2016 Principal Fund Manager, Bellring Capital
2013–2016 Executive Director & Co-Founder, SeBuT Immobilien
2012–2015 Head of Investor Relations & Co-Founder, Brova Wenning Finance & Advisory
Early roles spanned venture investing, real estate development and investor relations — building the deal-evaluation, storytelling and stakeholder-communication foundations later applied across fintech leadership.
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Arts (BA), First Class — University of Cambridge
Master of Studies (MSt) — University of Oxford
Accredited Executive Coach — Catalyst 14 (2020–2022)
European Individual Accreditation (EIA) — Practitioner & Foundation
SKILLS & LANGUAGES
Strategy · Leadership · Executive Coaching · Brand & Narrative Building · Public Speaking & Thought Leadership
English & German (native/bilingual),·Spanish (professional), French (limited) Arabic (elementary)
