Visa Names Antony Cahill To Lead European Business

Visa has named banking veteran Antony Cahill to head its European operations.

Cahill replaces European CEO Charlotte Hogg, who is leaving the company after eight years to pursue a new opportunity, the payments giant announced in a Tuesday (May 27) news release.

“We are grateful to Charlotte for all she has done to advance our business in Europe,” said Visa CEO Ryan McInerney. “With Antony’s experience in the region, deep understanding of the diversity and complexity of our markets, and strong relationships with our partners, he is uniquely qualified to lead Visa Europe.”

Cahill joined Visa in 2018 as managing director for Europe, and later became deputy CEO for the region. Since 2023, he has served as president of the company’s value-added services (VAS) unit, which has grown into a $9 billion business.

As PYMNTS noted in a report last year, Visa has 250 VAS offerings, including things like Verifi, which helps merchants prevent and resolve disputes and chargebacks, and open banking, through the company’s acquisition of Tink.

Speaking with PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster, Cahill likened these offerings to a set of multivitamins or personal trainers. Companies like Tink help Visa’s partners maintain “maximum fitness and improve their service levels and customer experience.”

The industry has “never moved faster,” he added. “It’s never been more competitive, and consumer expectations have never been higher.”

Breaking down the business, Cahill said a third of Visa’s VAS activity is tied to helping client firms (merchants included) address the “pain points” of payments.

“And two-thirds,” he added, “comes from helping our issuers move into great new areas of opportunity — to reframe their business and open up new revenue pools.”

That’s squarely focused on increasing their Gen Z ranks, the report added.

While banks typically generate the bulk of their income from older and more financially established consumers, refocusing their product mix for younger consumers has become a high priority. That’s particularly true as they have more digital-first and digital-only payments and banking options to pick from.

“Generation Z was born digitally native,” Cahill said. “They’ve never known an experience without their handheld mobile devices — and their lives revolve around those devices.”

Before joining Visa, Cahill served as chief operating officer at National Australia Bank, following a 12-year stint with the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group.

Visa says an internal search for Cahill’s replacement has begun, and the company expects to name his successor soon. He will transition into his new role in early June.