Primer bolsters China presence with strategic appointments to capture growing cross-border payments demand

Primer, the unified infrastructure for global payments and commerce, today announced key strategic appointments in China, in a move that’s designed to capture a slice of the huge cross-border payments opportunity. 

Michael Liu and Samantha Tan will join as Business Development Managers for the Chinese market, marking a new milestone for Primer’s strategic expansion within Asia-Pacific. The announcement comes on the heels of a significant investment from Chinese internet giant Tencent, supporting Primer to capture the growing opportunities in cross-border commerce and payments technology between China and the rest of the world. 

According to data released by the State Council, China’s cross-border e-commerce market achieved significant growth in 2023, reaching a total US$331 billion, driven by a 19.6 percent rise in exports despite volatile macroeconomic conditions. 

Primer’s infrastructure will enable customers in China to quickly tap into overseas markets, bringing optionality to payments by giving access to global processors, local payment methods to fraud and KYC providers and more. Unifying these services brings unrivalled visibility and insights across the payment lifecycle, allowing businesses to optimize costs, boost performance, and scale at pace. 

On these new appointments, Sameer Talwar, Head of ANZ & Greater China at Primer comments, “We are excited to welcome Michael and Samantha into the Primer team. The Asia-Pacific market is fast growing, with Primer offering a powerful solution for the region’s notoriously fragmented payments landscape. Samantha and Michael offer extensive expertise and a rich understanding of China’s payments and FinTech ecosystems that will bolster our global team of local payments experts.”

Michael Liu brings over a decade of experience in the finance and payments sector, having served at Credit Suisse, PayPal, and the Agricultural Bank of China. Prior to this fresh appointment at Primer, he last served as Vice-President of Global Enterprise at Buy-Now-Pay-Later infrastructure firm Oppty. 

“I am honoured to join Primer at such a pivotal time for the business," said Michael Liu. "The Chinese market offers a dynamic landscape for growth and innovation, and I am confident that Primer's payments innovation will be well-received by businesses looking to optimise their cross-border payments as a lever of growth."

Originally from Kuala Lumpur, Samantha Tan joins Primer after six years at global payments leader PayPal, with a previous role at online commerce giant eBay. 

"Primer's commitment to providing revolutionary payment experiences for businesses aligns with my passion and expertise in driving digital transformation with global merchants," said Samantha Tan. "I look forward to leveraging my decade-long experience to build strong relationships with key merchants and partners, while establishing Primer as a key player in the payments ecosystem in China.”

Liu and Tan will be based in Singapore and will work closely with the rest of the fully-remote Primer team to empower more businesses to capitalise on the growing demand for cross-border commerce into and from the Chinese market.

About Primer

Primer is the unified infrastructure for global payments and commerce. With unrivaled freedom and visibility across the payments and commerce ecosystem, Primer equips merchants with the tools to effortlessly optimize performance, build at pace, and capture untapped revenue to achieve unstoppable growth. With employees in 35 countries, Primer serves category leaders in retail & ecommerce, travel & mobility, ticketing, and fintech. It has raised over US$94M, backed by the likes of Tencent, Iconiq, Accel, Balderton, and RTP Global.

Media Enquiries:

Rebecca Smith

rebecca.smith@baldwinboyle.com

+65 8318 6275