About This Episode This week, we meet up with Nico Kersten, CEO of Mercedes Pay. On top of the transformational shift from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is also transforming itself into a digital software driven company where digital payments becomes an essential foundational layer. This is the focus of our conversation today. Launched in 2018 Mercedes pay operates the in-house digital Payment platform for Mercedes Benz and acts as the digital payments and fintech knowledge hub for the Group. Mercedes pay platform is now live in more than 40 markets, enabling transaction processing for Mercedes-Benz e-commerce products and services. In addition, Niko also shares his perspective on what it takes to successfully manage fintech innovation at a large traditional industrial company. About Mercedes Pay Mercedes pay GmbH as subsidiary of Mercedes Benz Mobility AG operates our in-house digital ePayment platform. Acting as the knowledge hub around digital payments, it plays an integral role in the mobility and digitalization strategy of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Mercedes pay was first launched in 2018 in selected markets. The platform is now active in more than 40 markets, where it enables transaction processing for Mercedes-Benz e-commerce products and services on a global scale. Depending on the market, this includes transactions via the Mercedes me connect store, the Mercedes me app, in-car payments or online down payments for vehicles as well as vehicle payments in full. Episode Links  Nico’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-kersten-767500211/ Mercedes Pay Website: https://www.mercedes-benz-mobility.com/en/what-we-do/payment-services/ Mercedes Pay on LinkedIn: ‍https://www.linkedin.com/company/mercedes-pay-gmbh/ Another Of Nico’s Recent Interviews: ”Why shouldn’t cars be able to do what smartphones have long been able to do?” ‍