Marie-Elise Droga, a seasoned executive with 20 years of experience in the payments industry with a special focus on cross-border payments and global expansion, has been appointed as the new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at EBANX, a technology company specializing in payment services for emerging markets. Starting this month, Droga will lead the fintech’s worldwide commercial and partnerships teams.
Droga brings her experience at global payment enterprises such as Visa and Western Union, and she is strongly committed to expanding financial access across Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions. At Visa, she served as SVP, Head of Fintech Partnerships, Global and North America, where she helped drive revenue growth and expand the company’s footprint across emerging fintech segments.
Similarly, at Western Union, Droga was SVP, Global Head of Enterprise Strategic Partnerships, and played a leading role in the company’s positioning in cross-border payments. Prior to EBANX, she served as CRO at Consumer Edge, leading teams across the US, Europe, and APAC. Born in France, she has lived and worked in seven countries – India, Australia, Fiji, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and the United States – gaining a deep cultural understanding of both emerging and developed markets.
“Having witnessed firsthand the struggles for financial inclusion in emerging markets, I am driven by a purpose to create real change and impact in these communities. This isn’t a concept to me – it’s a lived reality I have seen up close,” says Droga.
Droga steps into her new role with the mission to further expand EBANX’s client portfolio, already comprising over 500 enterprise merchants from North America, Europe, and APAC, and grow the fintech’s footprint beyond the 29 countries it currently operates in across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. “My journey across diverse organizations, from fast-moving startups to global companies, has shaped a deep understanding of what it takes to scale and succeed in complex, evolving markets,” she points out.
“Marie-Elise’s experience in building high-performing teams worldwide, unlocking value through strategic partnerships, and driving meaningful growth makes her the right fit to help our merchants and partners expand faster and go further. She’ll play a key role as EBANX continues shaping the future of payments and e-commerce,” says João Del Valle, CEO and Co-founder of EBANX.
Focus on emerging markets
EBANX’s core mission to provide millions of people in rising economies access to international products and services was one of the key factors that made Marie-Elise Droga join the Brazil-founded company. These regions are becoming increasingly relevant in the global economic scenario – and a massive opportunity for companies worldwide.
Online sales in Latin America, Africa, and India are expected to surpass USD 1.3 trillion by 2027, after growing up to 20% per year, considering several verticals, from online retail to SaaS, streaming, and online travel, according to EBANX’s study Beyond Borders 2025. “As developed markets begin to recognize the complexity and rapid evolution of local payments in emerging economies, EBANX is uniquely positioned to bridge that gap with the infrastructure and insight required to succeed,” Droga adds.
“The data clearly shows there’s a strong reason for merchants to focus on these markets. Marie-Elise is the right leader, in the right place, to help EBANX connect rising economies and businesses,” emphasizes Del Valle.
