WorldRemit has announced the appointment of Skype’s Gabriella Poczo as its Chief Technology Officer. Poczo for those that don’t her, oversaw the movement of Skype from desktop to mobile, making her one of Silicon Valley’s most respected engineering leads.
She also served as CTO at messaging service textPlus, Senior Director of Handset Software Development at T-Mobile, USA and as Engineering Director and CTO for Sun Microsystems’ OEM Platforms Group.
Gabriella’s appointment underlines WorldRemit’s status as the leading player in mobile money transfers – with a mobile-first strategy for senders and the world’s largest selection of Mobile Money wallets for recipients.
“This company is so far ahead of the game in terms of mobile money transfers. While others are still talking about the opportunity, WorldRemit is sending hundreds of thousands transactions to mobile devices across Africa and Asia,” said Gabriella.
“They know this space better than anyone. Now it’s time to take our service to the next level – integrating more Mobile Money partners, and providing enhanced apps for our senders.”
Gabriella’s key role in taking Skype mobile is especially relevant given the frequent comparisons between the two services.
“There are a handful of companies that are seen as providing essential services to migrants – Skype is one. There’s also messaging services like WhatsApp and Viber and now WorldRemit,” added Gabriella.
WorldRemit founder and CEO Ismail Ahmed welcomed Gabriella Poczo’s appointment saying: “Everyone talks about building mobile services, but Gabriella is one of the few people who actually has experience of creating a mobile communications service for a global user-base.
“Getting this right isn’t just about creating a slick app for senders. Mobile Money is driving financial inclusion in the developing world and our position as the leading sender of money to these services is transforming lives.”
