Thunes hires Irina Chuchkina as first CMO

Thunes, a Singapore-based provier of payment solutions, has appointed Irina Chuchkina as its first global chief marketing officer. Before joining Thunes, Chuchkina led global brand, communications, and social media marketing for Rapyd, another fintech company.

She was also at Grab, where she helped to launch GrabPay, Grab’s mobile wallet, and GrabRewards, its loyalty platform. Chuchkina also spent several years with Visa, where she was part of the firm's Innovation Centre team and led its marketing and communications efforts across APAC. Chuchkina, who will be based in Singapore, also serves as an executive committee member in the Singapore Fintech Association.

“I believe that the company has immense potential and I look forward to helping Thunes grow and build a brand synonymous with cross-border payments excellence, and secure the attention and credibility that it deserves” said Chuchkina. 

The appointment follow the announcement of Thunes’ acquisition of Limonetik, a European Payment Methods Platform, which complements existing Thunes’ cross-border payments solutions in 115 countries by enabling businesses to get paid in 70 countries.The announcement also follows a number of strategic hires that the company made over the last 12 months, including COO Tamar El-Emary in October 2020.  

In May 2021, Thunes had raised $60 million in funding in a round led by Insight Partners. Thunes was launched in 2019 when TransferTo split into two companies: Thunes would focus om B2B offerings and DT One on B2C.

“For me as a marketer, I’m excited about the opportunity to grow a global brand that serves an important purpose in a global economy - connecting countries and communities, and helping them to pay and get paid," Chuchkina added.