Pine Labs, a leading global fintech platform, has appointed Jayaram Karthik as its new Chief Operations Officer (COO). The appointment comes as the company looks to strengthen its operational capabilities and build a more scalable operating model as it expands across India and international markets.
Jayaram Karthik to lead operations and merchant experience
In his new role, Jayaram Karthik will oversee operations and merchant experiences across Pine Labs’ domestic and international businesses. His mandate will focus on creating technology-enabled operating models that can deliver seamless, trusted and locally relevant experiences for merchants.
The appointment is particularly significant as Pine Labs continues to expand its global footprint. The company currently operates across more than 20 countries, making operational consistency and scalability increasingly important to its growth strategy.
● New role: Chief Operations Officer
● Company: Pine Labs
● Focus: Operations and merchant experience
● Markets: India and international markets
● Experience: More than 25 years
Over 25 years of leadership experience
Jayaram Karthik brings more than 25 years of experience spanning operations, risk, analytics and technology. Over the course of his career, he has held leadership roles at major companies including American Express, Citibank, Amazon, Tata and Razorpay.
His experience includes leading large-scale operational transformation initiatives and working on initiatives aimed at improving operating models and standardising end-to-end merchant journeys.
| Key area | Jayaram Karthik’s experience |
|---|---|
| Experience | 25+ years |
| Core expertise | Operations, risk, analytics and technology |
| Previous organisations | American Express, Citibank, Amazon, Tata and Razorpay |
| New position | Chief Operations Officer, Pine Labs |
| Primary mandate | Operations and merchant experience |
Pine Labs focuses on operational excellence
Commenting on the appointment, B Amrish Rau, CEO of Pine Labs, said that the future of fintech will depend not only on products but also on how effectively technology and operations come together to deliver better customer experiences.
Rau highlighted the importance of developing a unified operational excellence model as Pine Labs continues to scale its international presence. He added that Karthik’s experience in streamlining complex processes at high-growth companies would help strengthen the company’s foundation for its next phase of global growth.
Turning complexity into simplicity
Karthik said that the next competitive advantage in fintech will come from making complex processes simpler for customers. According to him, this will require technology, operations and customer experience to work together.
His appointment comes at a time when digital payments and fintech companies are increasingly focused on combining technology with strong operational capabilities. Pine Labs itself describes its business as focused on digitising commerce through digital payments and issuing solutions for merchants, consumer brands, enterprises and financial institutions.
What the appointment means for Pine Labs
The addition of Jayaram Karthik to Pine Labs’ leadership team is expected to strengthen the company’s operational framework as it continues its international expansion.
Key priorities are likely to include:
- ● Operational scalability across multiple markets
- ● Better merchant experiences through technology
- ● Standardised operating processes
- ● Stronger customer trust and service quality
- ● Supporting sustainable global growth
With his cross-industry experience, Karthik brings a combination of strategic leadership, operational expertise and technology-driven transformation to Pine Labs. His new role is expected to play an important part in helping the fintech company scale its operations while maintaining a consistent experience for merchants across markets.
