More than a workplace: The culture behind our growth 

At OpenPayd, culture is the foundation of how we work. It shapes how we collaborate, make decisions, and show up for one another every day. More than anything, it ensures that as we grow, we remain aligned, connected and focused whilst building the universal financial infrastructure that helps businesses to move and manage money globally. 

What do we do to build culture at OpenPayd and how do we maintain it? 

As a growing fintech business, we’ve built a culture centred around our core Values:  Make Your Mark, Find a Better Way, Embrace the Journey, Grow Together, We Do What’s Right.  

What makes these values particularly special is that they were created by our people through a bottom-up approach, rather than being imposed from the top down. When defining our core values, we believed it was important that they came directly from the “Voice of the People”. To achieve this, a few years ago our People Team visited each OpenPayd office to understand what mattered most to our colleagues, both individually and as a business. We then brought all the feedback together and collaboratively shaped it into our five values. 

Each of the values means something slightly different to each of us, but we are aligned around all of them. In our current growth phase, the value that resonates strongly is Make Your Mark. This is all about innovation, having a meaningful impact in your role, on your team, and across the organisation, and feeling that each of us is contributing a small but important brick towards building a fantastic company. 

This is also reflected in our employee engagement survey results, where Make Your Mark continues to be fully embedded in our day-to-day culture. Our latest survey found that 95% of employees understand how their work contributes to OpenPayd’s goals, demonstrating a strong connection between individual impact and our wider company mission. In addition, 89% of employees feel they have enough autonomy to perform their job effectively, highlighting the trust, ownership, and empowerment that enable people to make a meaningful contribution across the business. 

How leadership shapes day-to-day work 

At OpenPayd, we find that a strong culture starts with strong leadership. We believe this is to build a culture where colleagues feel supported and empowered to contribute ideas and to do what’s right. Through regular All Hands meetings, leaders ensure employees are aligned on company updates, priorities, and future growth. Our “Ask Anything” sessions, led by our c-suite and senior leaders,  further strengthen this transparency by giving employees direct access to senior leadership and encouraging honest questions and discussion across the business when making informed decisions. 

This leadership approach is underpinned by our core value, We Grow Together. It reflects how we work, respecting each other’s perspectives, learning from one another, and holding ourselves and others accountable. We embrace constructive conversations, act with kindness and respect, support each other through challenges, and remain open to asking for and offering help. 

The impact of this leadership approach can be seen in how our teams work together every day. In our most recent engagement survey, 91% of employees said they feel part of a team and 94% said they feel comfortable providing feedback to one another. These results reflect a culture built on trust, collaboration, and open communication, where colleagues feel safe to share ideas, challenge thinking, and support one another in achieving common goals. 

Never standing still 

As a passionate team, we are always looking for ways to improve. We actively encourage colleagues to Find a Better Way, fostering a culture of openness, continuous learning, and a willingness to explore new skills, solutions, and alternative approaches. As Charles Darwin is often credited with saying, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” In a fast-moving industry such as fintech, adaptability is essential, and we believe our ability to embrace change is one of our greatest strengths. This mindset is reflected in our most recent engagement survey, where 91% of employees said they continuously strive to improve and feel encouraged to share new ideas.  

Does OpenPayd have any rituals or traditions?

Culture is also strengthened through the moments that bring people together. We make a conscious effort to recognise both big and small wins, celebrate individual and team achievements, and acknowledge personal milestones such as birthdays. Our Social Committee plays an active role in creating opportunities for colleagues to connect, helping to build relationships across teams and departments. 

One of these values, Embrace the Journey, reflects how we work in practice. It’s about celebrating everyday wins as well as bigger achievements, staying committed when challenges arise, and maintaining belief in OpenPayds vision. This mindset reinforces a culture where progress is recognised, resilience is valued, and people are encouraged to Grow Together. The impact is clear 89% of employees say they have appropriate channels to show recognition of each other’s accomplishments and celebrations which is highlighting how deeply this value resonates across the business and shapes the way we work every day. 

As OpenPayd continues to grow, our culture remains at the heart of everything we do. It helps us stay grounded in our values while continuing to evolve as a business and power the growth of the digital economy. 

Looking ahead 

As OpenPayd continues its journey from scale-up to industry leader, our ambition remains as strong as ever. We are committed to growing our business, expanding our global footprint, and continuing to power the digital economy through innovative financial infrastructure. At the same time, we recognise that sustainable growth depends on more than technology and commercial success – it depends on our people. By staying true to our values, investing in our culture, and creating an environment where colleagues can thrive, we aim to build not only a world-class financial infrastructure company, but also a world-class place to work. 

Interested in a future at OpenPayd?

Find out more about life at OpenPayd and our open roles here.