Yaspa appoints Mandy Thompson as US marketing expansion gains momentum

Payments and identity solutions provider Yaspa has announced the appointment of Mandy Thompson as Marketing Manager, adding dedicated marketing leadership to its US operations as the company continues developing its presence in North America.

Based in Atlanta, Thompson is joining Yaspa with extensive experience in the payments industry. Her previous work includes a senior marketing role at Blackhawk Network, where her responsibilities included enterprise go-to-market initiatives, identifying growth opportunities and developing marketing programmes connected to prepaid and incentive payment solutions. Thompson’s professional background is closely aligned with Yaspa’s focus on payments, financial technology and regulated markets.

Yaspa’s US expansion has become an increasingly important part of its wider growth strategy. The company established a US entity in Atlanta after securing a $12 million investment round led by Discerning Capital in July 2025. Yaspa said the funding was intended to support its expansion in the United States.

The appointment of Thompson therefore adds a marketing function at a stage when Yaspa is already investing in commercial, product and solutions capabilities in the region.

Mandy Thompson to support Yaspa’s North American strategy

In her new role, Thompson is expected to help develop Yaspa’s brand and market proposition across sectors including iGaming, prediction-related businesses and other regulated areas in North America.

The position is also designed to support communications and marketing activity as Yaspa enters a further phase of regional development. Thompson will report to Chief Marketing Officer Kate Marsden, who remains responsible for the company’s broader marketing strategy. Yaspa’s current leadership information identifies Marsden as Chief Marketing Officer with more than 25 years of experience across technology and digital businesses.

The appointment gives Yaspa additional marketing capability in the same market where it has been building a larger operational team. The company currently identifies Max Collinge as Vice President of Product, US while Peter Kula serves as US Sales Lead and Jackson Esoda as Senior Solutions Manager. Yaspa has publicly described the latter two appointments as part of its efforts to strengthen the Atlanta-based US team.

Thompson said:

“I’m thrilled to be joining Yaspa and the team at such an exciting time on its journey. The US payment and fintech market is fast-moving and, with regulation at a key crossroads in time, Yaspa’s intelligent payment solutions hit the sweet spot of payment and identity innovation. 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.”

Her comments highlight the positioning Yaspa is pursuing in the US, where payment infrastructure, identity verification and regulatory requirements increasingly intersect. Rather than presenting payments as a standalone service, the company has built its proposition around combining transactions with verified customer information and risk-related insights.

Kate Marsden said:

“Mandy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our 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. Welcome to the team, Mandy.”

Yaspa expands its presence in a regulated market

Yaspa provides payment and identity solutions, with its Intelligent Payments offering built around open banking technology. Its current US proposition includes instant payments, instant payouts, account verification and virtual accounts. The company also positions its technology for iGaming operators seeking payment functionality alongside verification and customer intelligence capabilities.

The broader significance of Thompson’s appointment is linked to the complexity of the North American market. Payment providers operating in regulated industries must address commercial expectations while also navigating market-specific compliance requirements. Yaspa is regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and has established its US entity as part of its international expansion.

For Yaspa, a dedicated marketing presence can help translate its technology proposition into clearer messaging for prospective customers, partners and other stakeholders. It may also support the company as it builds awareness among businesses that require payment solutions suited to regulated environments.

That positioning is particularly relevant to iGaming, where transaction performance can be closely connected to customer experience, risk management and regulatory obligations. Yaspa describes its Intelligent Payments approach as a combination of real-time bank payments with verified customer insights.

US growth follows investment and team expansion

Yaspa’s US push follows a period of significant corporate development.

The company announced a $12 million investment round in July 2025 led by Discerning Capital. Yaspa said the funding would help accelerate its US expansion after establishing an Atlanta-based US entity. At the time, the company described its strategy as part of a broader international growth programme.

Its expansion also included a technology hub in Leeds, UK, while Atlanta became the centre of its US activity. Yaspa subsequently highlighted the growth of its workforce and further additions to its leadership and commercial teams.

The company has continued to build its profile through industry recognition. In 2026, Yaspa was named Best Payment Solution Provider at the European iGaming Awards and won both AI Solutions Provider and Safer Gambling Supplier at the EGR B2B Awards. Yaspa has also noted its recognition in the CB Insights Top 100 Fintechs ranking for 2025.

Its awards record is not limited to 2026. Yaspa won the Real-Time Payments Innovation category at the 2025 Payments Awards and received Silver for Payment Solution of the Year at the 2025 SBC Awards Europe.

Taken together, those developments provide context for the appointment of Thompson. The company is not entering the US market from a standing start. It has been building its corporate infrastructure, commercial team, product offering and brand profile over an extended period.

Marketing takes on a greater role

As Yaspa expands, marketing is likely to play a larger role in explaining its proposition to a broader North American audience.

Payments businesses competing in regulated sectors often have to communicate complex technical and compliance-related capabilities without losing clarity for potential customers. The challenge becomes more pronounced when the offering combines payments, identity verification, data and risk-related functionality.

Mandy Thompson’s experience in strategic marketing and enterprise go-to-market activity is therefore relevant to Yaspa’s stated objectives. Her role is expected to support market positioning while helping the company communicate its proposition across several regulated verticals.

For Yaspa, this also represents a move from building market presence to strengthening market recognition. A dedicated US marketing resource can support consistent messaging and help align commercial activity with the company’s product and expansion priorities.

Outlook for Yaspa in North America

Yaspa’s latest move suggests that North America will remain a major strategic priority as the company develops beyond its established UK and European base.

The company is already presenting its payment and identity capabilities to US gaming businesses while continuing to develop products designed around instant transactions, verification and financial intelligence. Its current US operations, Atlanta presence and expanding team indicate an intention to build a lasting regional footprint rather than rely solely on remote international operations.

The appointment of Mandy Thompson adds another layer to that strategy. Her focus on marketing can support Yaspa’s efforts to establish a stronger US identity while communicating its technology and regulated-market proposition to potential customers.

At the same time, Yaspa’s continued investment means the company will need to balance growth ambitions with the operational and regulatory requirements that accompany expansion in payments and gaming. The appointment does not by itself determine future performance, but it does demonstrate that the company considers market development and brand building important components of its North American plans.

Conclusion

Yaspa’s appointment of Mandy Thompson comes at a significant stage in the company’s North American development. The move adds dedicated marketing expertise to an Atlanta-based operation that has already received new investment and expanded across product, sales and solutions functions.

Thompson’s background in payments-focused strategic marketing provides a relevant foundation for the responsibilities ahead. Her work will take place alongside Yaspa’s broader efforts to establish its Intelligent Payments proposition across iGaming, predictions and other regulated sectors.

The wider picture is one of structured expansion. Yaspa has strengthened its US presence, continued developing its technology and gained recognition across the payments and iGaming industries. As that activity moves forward, effective communication of the company’s value proposition may become increasingly important.

For Yaspa, the appointment represents more than an additional marketing position. It forms part of a broader effort to build the infrastructure, visibility and commercial capability required for continued growth in the US market. With Mandy Thompson joining the team in Atlanta, the company has added another experienced professional to a regional operation that is becoming increasingly central to its international strategy.

FAQs

Who is Mandy Thompson?
Mandy Thompson is a marketing professional with payments-sector experience who has joined Yaspa as Marketing Manager for its US operations.

What is Mandy Thompson’s role at Yaspa?
Thompson will support Yaspa’s marketing and communications strategy in North America and help develop the company’s brand and proposition across its target sectors.

Where is Mandy Thompson based?
Thompson is based in Atlanta, Georgia, where Yaspa has established its US operations.

Who will Mandy Thompson report to at Yaspa?
Mandy Thompson will report directly to Yaspa Chief Marketing Officer Kate Marsden.

What sectors will Mandy Thompson support at Yaspa?
Her role will cover areas including iGaming, predictions and other regulated markets targeted by Yaspa in North America.

What does Yaspa provide?
Yaspa provides payments and identity solutions, including instant payments, payouts, account verification and other services built around open banking technology.

Why is the US important to Yaspa?
The United States is a strategic expansion market for Yaspa and forms a central part of the company’s international growth plans following the creation of a US entity in Atlanta.

How has Yaspa expanded its US team?
Yaspa has strengthened its US operation through appointments including Peter Kula as US Sales Lead, Jackson Esoda as Senior Solutions Manager and Max Collinge as Vice President of Product, US.

Has Yaspa received industry recognition?
Yes. Yaspa was named Best Payment Solution Provider at the European iGaming Awards 2026 and won AI Solutions Provider and Safer Gambling Supplier at the EGR B2B Awards 2026.

What funding supported Yaspa’s expansion?
Yaspa announced a $12 million investment round in July 2025 led by Discerning Capital to support its expansion in the United States.