Paytrail’s long-standing CEO Markus Laurio will transition to a board professional role – Joni Rautanen has been appointed as the new CEO

Press release. For immediate release.

Long-standing CEO of online payment company Paytrail, Markus Laurio, will step down from his role as CEO and move away from day-to-day operational responsibilities, continuing his career as a board professional. Joni Rautanen has been appointed as the company’s new CEO, moving into the role from his current position as Paytrail’s Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer.

Markus Laurio has served as Paytrail’s CEO for nearly 14 years and has played a key role in the company’s impressive growth and success story. Under his leadership, Paytrail has established its position as Finland’s largest online payment company and the most widely used payment service in online stores, digital services and applications. Each year, billions of euros’ worth of domestic e-commerce flows through the company.

During Laurio’s tenure, Paytrail has strengthened its position as a forerunner in Finnish online payments and as a trusted partner for tens of thousands of companies and their customers. Before becoming CEO, Laurio was also involved in Paytrail’s Board of Directors from the company’s early days.

The transition to a board professional role is a natural next step for Laurio after a long and impactful career as CEO. The CEO transition has been carefully prepared over several years as a strategic succession, supporting continuity and ensuring the transfer of knowledge and expertise. The integrity, sense of community and customer focus that have defined Laurio’s leadership will remain a strong part of Paytrail’s culture also in the future.

“Nearly 14 years as CEO of Paytrail has been a wonderful and meaningful journey. I am deeply grateful to our personnel, customers and partners for their trust, collaboration and shared successes over the years. Paytrail is in a stronger position than ever, and I look to the company’s future with great confidence. Under the leadership of Joni and the entire team, Paytrail is excellently positioned to continue its growth and its role as a trailblazer in Finnish online payments."

Markus Laurio

Joni Rautanen to lead the company into its next phase

Joni Rautanen, who has been appointed as the new CEO, already has a strong understanding of Paytrail, its people, customers and strategy. The internal appointment supports continuity and provides an excellent foundation for leading the company into its next stage of development in a changing operating environment increasingly accelerated by artificial intelligence.

Rautanen has served as Paytrail’s Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO since 2021 and has played a key role in building the company’s growth in recent years. Before joining Paytrail, Rautanen held roles including Deputy CEO at Checkout Finland, which merged into Paytrail in 2021. Under Rautanen’s leadership, the company will continue to strengthen customer value, renew itself and advance Finnish online payments.

”I am extremely proud and excited to take on the lead responsibility for Paytrail. This is an excellent company, with the very best people in the industry. The transition from Chief Operating Officer to CEO has been carried out as planned and in close collaboration with Markus, ensuring operational continuity for our customers and partners. Paytrail’s market position is strong, and we will continue to execute our strategy by focusing on the next growth phases of digital payments and service development. The customer has always been at the heart of everything we do, and our goal is to create measurable value and growth for their business."

Joni Rautanen

The CEO change took effect on 1 August 2026.

The entire Paytrail team warmly thanks Markus for his long-standing and meaningful contribution to our company. At the same time, we wish Joni every success in his new role.

 

Founded in 2007, Paytrail is the largest Finnish online payment company. The company handles the online payments for its 20,000+ customers. Additionally, Paytrail handles the online payments of the State Treasury's Suomi.fi service. The company is part of Nets/Nexi Group.

For further information

Joni Rautanen, CEO, Paytrail

Suvi Tikkanen, Marketing Director, Paytrail