NETOPIA Payments, one of the most widely used online payment processors in Romania, has appointed Raluca Micu as its new Chief Executive Officer.
This appointment marks a new chapter for the company, coming in the context of its licensing process as a payment institution by the National Bank of Romania (NBR) and the expansion of its financial services portfolio for merchants – according to the press release.
„In her new role, Raluca Micu will oversee the company’s operations with the objective of further accelerating business growth through product innovation and consolidating NETOPIA Payments’ position as an essential infrastructure for digital payments in Romania.„ – the company said.
Raluca Micu brings over 15 years of experience in payments, regulation, and financial innovation. She had several leadership roles within the National Bank of Romania, where she contributed to payment services regulation, risk management, and fintech innovation initiatives. She also coordinated the alignment of the Romanian payments ecosystem with European standards, including PSD2, SEPA, and the Instant Payments Regulation. Furthermore, she initiated and led the Fintech Innovation Hub—the first structured dialogue platform between the central bank and fintech companies in Romania, launched in 2019.
Prior to joining NETOPIA Payments, Raluca Micu served as Deputy CEO at Token Financial Technologies, an NBR-authorized payment institution. There, she contributed to the company’s European expansion strategy, including the passporting of its payment institution license across EU member states, and played a pivotal role in developing the offline payments strategy and positioning the POS infrastructure as a financial platform for SMEs.
„NETOPIA Payments is the infrastructure through which millions of transactions from Romanian merchants and consumers pass every day. I accept this responsibility with all the seriousness it demands—and with the firm belief that the company’s most significant growth opportunities lie at the intersection of innovation and the solidity of a mature regulatory framework. Together, we are building NETOPIA 2.0: a platform that doesn’t just process payments, but provides merchants with access to integrated financial services tailored to boost their financial performance.” — Raluca Micu, Chief Executive Officer, NETOPIA Payments
„Under Raluca Micu’s mandate, NETOPIA Payments will continue to expand its solutions for merchants across both online and offline sectors. Key focus areas include developing financial service products for merchants—such as Merchant Cash Advance financing tools, omnichannel payment solutions, and the integration of A2A payment methods via RoPay—alongside strengthening the technical processing infrastructure and maintaining high standards of security, resilience, and compliance.” – the company explained.
Raluca Micu was named „Fintech Personality of the Year” by the Romanian Fintech Association in 2023 and 2024. She is also an associate lecturer within the Master in Banking and Finance program at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), where she helps bridge the gap between academic theory and current practices in the financial ecosystem.
„Raluca Micu’s appointment reflects the current stage of NETOPIA Payments: a company with a solid operational foundation in the midst of acceleration. Raluca’s experience—both from a regulator’s perspective and a payment services operator’s standpoint—is exactly what this company needs to unlock its potential in a rapidly transforming market. We are confident that under her leadership, NETOPIA Payments will strengthen the vital role it already plays in the Romanian financial ecosystem.” — Anna Zientkiewicz-Pakulska, Managing Director, Innova Capital, majority investor of the NETOPIA Group.
With the appointment of Raluca Micu, NETOPIA Payments enters a new phase of growth built on her unique experience at the intersection of regulation, payment infrastructure, and fintech. The core objective remains unchanged: providing a robust payments infrastructure that supports the Romanian digital economy.
NETOPIA Payments is the most widely used online payment processor in Romania, with over 22 years of activity and a portfolio of over 25,000 merchants. The company processes over 30% of the total volume of online card transactions in Romania—equivalent to approximately €2 billion annually. NETOPIA Payments is part of the NETOPIA Group, which was acquired in a majority stake in 2023 by Innova Capital, a private equity fund with a presence in Central and Eastern Europe. The investment was partially funded by the European Investment Fund through the InvestEU program and by the European Union through the NextGenerationEU program, with support from the Government of Romania through the NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan).
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