Michael Penrose

About Michael Penrose

I lead the Embedded Finance & Card Issuing practice at Wenham Carter, working directly with founders, CEOs and industry leaders building issuing and embedded finance platforms at scale.My work focuses on the commercial decisions that materially impact outcomes: who owns revenue, how GTM is structured, and whether leadership is equipped to sell, partner, and scale inside regulated, infrastructure-heavy markets.I advise CEOs across card issuing, BaaS, and payments infrastructure on senior commercial leadership, org design, and market entry. Engagements typically sit at inflection points: first enterprise motion, international expansion, sponsor-bank complexity, or revenue recalibration post-funding.This is not volume hiring. It’s targeted, market-mapped search and strategic counsel where the wrong decision is expensive and the right one compounds.Focus areas;→ CEO, CRO, and senior commercial leadership in embedded finance and issuing→ GTM design across complex, regulated fintech platforms→ Market mapping, succession planning, and commercial readinessIf you’re a CEO building or scaling an issuing or embedded finance platform and want a candid view on your commercial setup or leadership bench, I’m always open to a direct c••••••••@wenhamcarter.com+19•••••••97

Experience

1. Senior Recruitment Consultant

   Wenham Carter

   Jan 2024 — Present · NY, US

   Senior Consultant | Executive Search, Issuing & Embedded FinanceFounded in 2001, Wenham Carter Group is a global executive search & recruitment firm operating at the leading edge of technology and science. We partner with companies at the forefront of technological advancement to discover and deploy exceptional talent that is hard to find and even harder to attract. Hunting or consulting, one by one or at scale, from benchtop to boardroom, everywhere in the world. We populate the leading edge of technology & science.I specialise within Wenham Carter\'s Fintech markets - specifically Issuing & Embedded Finance. I recruit at a \'C\' and senior management level, as well as specialist level and niche skillset hires, and our core expertise is headhunting both on a retained basis across EMEA, APAC & the Americas.

Education

• Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers

  Diploma of Education