Standard Chartered Appoints Naveen Mallela as Global Head of Payments to Lead Next Phase of Digital Payment Innovation

Standard Chartered Appoints Naveen Mallela as Global Head of Payments to Lead Next Phase of Digital Payment Innovation

(IN BRIEF) Standard Chartered has appointed Naveen Mallela as Global Head of Payments, effective 4 May 2026, as part of the bank’s strategy to strengthen its global payments capabilities and modernise its cash management franchise. Based in Singapore and reporting to Mahesh Kini, Mallela will lead an integrated payments organisation that brings together collections, clearing and payments teams to deliver end-to-end solutions across the full payments lifecycle. The role will focus on developing services that combine traditional financial infrastructure with emerging technologies such as tokenised and blockchain-based payment flows. Mallela joins from JPMorgan Chase where he served as Global Co-Head of Kinexys, the bank’s blockchain and digital asset unit. With more than 25 years of experience in global payments and transaction banking, he will help drive the next phase of growth in Standard Chartered’s payments business as demand increases for faster, more integrated cross-border payment solutions.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 4-Mar-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Standard Chartered has appointed Naveen Mallela as Global Head of Payments, with the role taking effect on 4 May 2026. Based in Singapore, he will report to Mahesh Kini, the bank’s Global Head of Cash Management, and will lead the organisation’s integrated payments strategy as the bank continues to expand its capabilities across both traditional and digital payment systems.

In his new position, Naveen will oversee the bank’s global payments organisation, bringing together collections, clearing and payments teams into a unified structure. The move reflects growing client demand for integrated, end-to-end payment solutions capable of supporting complex global transactions and increasingly digital financial ecosystems.

The integrated payments team will be responsible for developing solutions that span the entire payments lifecycle, covering both traditional financial infrastructure and emerging technologies such as tokenised and blockchain-based payment flows. By consolidating these capabilities within a single organisation, Standard Chartered aims to strengthen its ability to deliver seamless cross-border payment services for corporate and institutional clients.

The appointment comes as Standard Chartered continues its broader transformation of its Cash Management business. The bank has been investing in advanced technology, reengineering operational processes and building strategic partnerships in order to modernise its global payments infrastructure. These efforts are intended to address the evolving needs of clients who increasingly require faster, more efficient and digitally integrated cross-border payment solutions.

Michael Spiegel, Global Head of Transaction Banking at Standard Chartered, described the appointment as an important step in the next phase of the bank’s Cash Management strategy. He said the business is entering a new stage of development focused on building a scalable, product-led franchise that enables clients to operate across both traditional financial systems and emerging digital payment ecosystems.

Roberto Hoornweg, Chief Executive Officer of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Chartered, emphasized that the payments landscape is rapidly evolving as conventional settlement systems increasingly intersect with digital and blockchain-based technologies. Naveen’s experience in payments innovation and digital infrastructure will play a key role in helping the bank combine traditional clearing capabilities with emerging digital asset solutions in a client-focused manner.

Naveen joins Standard Chartered from JPMorgan Chase, where he served as Global Co-Head of Kinexys, previously known as Onyx. The unit is the bank’s permissioned blockchain business focused on enabling real-time, 24/7 cross-border payments and digital asset settlement.

With more than 25 years of experience in global transaction banking and payments innovation, Naveen brings extensive expertise in modernising payment infrastructure and developing next-generation financial technology solutions. His background includes work on blockchain-based payment systems and the development of digital asset settlement platforms designed to support continuous, real-time financial transactions.

Through the new leadership role, Standard Chartered aims to accelerate its efforts to expand payment capabilities across both established banking networks and emerging digital financial systems, positioning the bank to support the evolving needs of global businesses and financial institutions.

Standard Chartered

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Media Contacts:

Celine Ng(Opens in a new window)
CIB Communications
Celine.ng@sc.com

Rami Lawand(Opens in a new window)
CIB Communications
Rami.lawand@sc.scom

SOURCE: Standard Chartered