Press release – Careers / Banks & Fintechs / Retail & E-Commerce
Vienna/Lachen (Switzerland)
European mobile payment provider Bluecode expands its executive team: Daniel Koller, former Chief Operating Officer for the Deutsche Handelsbank AG and for Klarna Group subsidiary Sofort GmbH, takes over as COO. The 42-year-old Bavarian strengthens the managerial team headed by Bluecode CEO Christian Pirkner, Chief Corporate Officer Mirko Thomas Oberholzer, CCO Georg Schardt, and Deputy CEO Jens Lütcke. Koller, Schardt and Lütcke have previously worked together at Sofort and Klarna.
Since April 2021, Chief Operating Officer Daniel Koller is responsible for operations and tech integration as well as project management. By integrating more banks, Savings Banks and merchants into the Bluecode mobile payment ecosystem, he will also drive the company’s growth. The business graduate brings more than 15 years of experience from various executive positions in the payment and e-commerce sectors. As Sofort GmbH COO at the time, he and former Sofort CEO and current Bluecode Deputy CEO, Jens Lütcke, developed the “Sofortüberweisung” (instant direct transfer) into the leading direct transfer method in Europe. After another role at Klarna as Director Merchant Development, SME Sales & Commercial Operations for the DACH region, the Allgäu native was most recently active as COO of Deutsche Handelsbank for more than four years.
Christian Pirkner, CEO of Blue Code International AG, is pleased to welcome Koller to the executive team: “With his years of experience, Daniel Koller is a great addition to the team comprised of his former Sofort and Klarna colleagues. He is going to be an excellent COO. They all view Bluecode as the future of value-added mobile payments, and with their previous work developing similar payment solutions, they have proven that European alternatives to Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and others can be very successful.” The Bluecode payment network (European Payment Scheme) enables partner banks and retailers to keep their mobile payment-related value chain within their own apps and offer their customers secure mobile payments combined with attractive value-added services, all according to European standards and rules.
European mobile payment alternative Bluecode is growing
“The mission to support Bluecode’s growth as European mobile payment alternative truly intrigues me”, says Daniel Koller, COO of Blue Code International AG. “Bluecode has recently secured the German drugstore chain Rossmann and the Unser Ö-Bonus Club loyalty program as its partners. It has also been integrated into the Huawei Wallet as mobile payment method. Partnerships with various other retail, technology and banking partners are currently in the works. It is my goal to integrate new partners into our ecosystem as quickly as possible, improve growth processes, and make Bluecode ready-to-scale.” When paying via Bluecode or an app with integrated Bluecode capability such as the Huawei Wallet or the jö App, a blue barcode is displayed on the device used. At retailers, that barcode is then scanned by the checkout staff at the cash register, making the payment process completely contactless. A single scan of the barcode – the quick One Scan Checkout – allows users to make cashless payments and benefit from value-added services such as loyalty programs and discounts automatically. The purchase amount is then simply debited from the user’s checking account. Especially important regarding hygiene in times of Covid-19: Customers only have to use their own smartphone; touching a payment terminal that requires customers to type in their PIN becomes obsolete. This even applies to purchases above the contactless limit of 50 Euro in Austria and Germany.
Further information and images can be found at: https://store.bluecode.com/en/press/
Photos, reprint free of charge
Photo 1: Daniel Koller, COO Blue Code International AG © Olga Schmid
Photo 2: Christian Pirkner, CEO Blue Code International AG © Blue Code International AG
Photo 3: The European mobile payment solution Bluecode combines secure payment via smartphone with valueadded services © Blue Code International AG
About Bluecode
Bluecode is the European mobile payment solution enabling cashless payments via Smartphone and Smartwatch (iOS & Android). In addition, in cooperation with banks and retailers, Value Added Services are offered in their apps. The smart and highly secure payment method works with any cheque account and is based on the unique Bluecode, named after its distinct Europe-themed colour. Bluecode is based on a high-tech solution and is also compatible with other transmission technologies. Absolute data protection for consumers, retailers and banks is guaranteed. Notable European banks and Savings Banks, mostly Austrian and German, as well as leading retailers (i.a. Rossmann, Globus Group, Konsum, REWE International subsidiaries Billa, Billa Plus and Bipa, and Spar Austria Group) are Bluecode network partners. More information can be found at www.store.bluecode.com
Press contacts:
Blue Code International AG
Schützenstraße 7
CH-8853 Lachen, SZ Switzerland
E-Mail: presse@bluecode.com
Himmelhoch PR
Alexander Tschida
Wohllebeng. 4/6+7, 1040 Vienna
E-Mail: alexander.tschida@himmelhoch.at
Mobil: +43 650 44 58 002
