Yaspa makes first US marketing hire as North American expansion gathers pace

Yaspa has appointed payments industry veteran Mandy Thompson as its first dedicated US marketing hire, as the fintech continues to build out its North American operations.

Atlanta-based Ms Thompson joins Yaspa as Marketing Manager after more than 12 years in the payments sector. She most recently served as Senior Strategic Marketing Manager at Blackhawk Network, where she worked on enterprise go-to-market strategies, growth opportunities and marketing programmes supporting prepaid and incentive payment solutions.

At Yaspa, Ms Thompson will focus on developing the company’s brand and proposition in the US, with a particular focus on iGaming, predictions and other regulated markets.

She will report to Yaspa Chief Marketing Officer Kate Marsden and work alongside the company’s growing US team.

The appointment follows a series of senior hires aimed at establishing Yaspa’s presence in North America. Vice President of Product Max Collinge permanently relocated to Atlanta in January to oversee product innovation, development and delivery in the region, while Peter Kula joined as US Sales Lead and Jackson Esoda as US Senior Solutions Manager.

Ms Thompson said the US payments and fintech market was “fast-moving”, adding that Yaspa’s payment and identity offering was well positioned as the regulatory landscape develops.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Yaspa and the team at such an exciting time on its journey,” she said. “I look forward to working with Kate and the marketing team, and Max and the rest of the Yaspa US team in the Atlanta office.”

Ms Marsden said Ms Thompson brought “a wealth of knowledge and experience” to the company’s US operations.

“Yaspa is embarking on an exciting stage of its growth journey in the North American market and we look forward to her leadership in growing the brand in the US,” she said.

Yaspa provides payment and identity solutions to gambling operators, including its Intelligent Payments offering, which combines Pay by Bank with customer verification and intelligence.

The company has been expanding its footprint following a $12 million investment round led by Discerning Capital last year. Its North American push has included the opening of an Atlanta office, while Yaspa also opened a technology hub in Leeds in August 2025.

The company has also picked up several industry awards during 2026. It was named Best Payment Solution Provider at the European iGaming Awards and Payment Solution of the Year at the SBC Awards, while June saw it win AI Solutions Provider and Safer Gambling Supplier at the EGR B2B Awards.

Yaspa was also included in CB Insights’ Top 100 Fintechs ranking, which highlights companies it identifies as among the most promising and innovative in financial services.

Founded in 2017 by a former Worldpay CTO, Yaspa combines open banking and AI to provide real-time bank payments, account verification and other payment services. The company operates across the UK, Europe and US, with offices in London, Leeds and Atlanta, and is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.