Adam Moulson has been appointed head of Visa Direct for the UK and Ireland, effective immediately. The former chief commercial officer at Griffin succeeds Lewis Nurcombe, who has led the region’s money movement network since March 2024.
The appointment represents the latest evolution in Visa’s regional leadership structure. Adam arrives with a substantial background in financial technology, having most recently served as managing director of MECS Fintech over the past eight months. His appointment signals Visa’s continued focus on expanding its real-time payments infrastructure across the UK and Irish markets.
Background and experience
Adam’s career trajectory encompasses both scaling fintech startups and driving commercial growth in established organisations. At Griffin, where he served as chief commercial officer from January 2021, he gained extensive experience in banking infrastructure development. During his tenure, he briefly assumed the position of interim chief executive in 2022, demonstrating his capacity for senior leadership.
His most recent position at MECS Fintech involved collaborating with founders to develop commercial strategies, build teams, and launch new products. This experience in early-stage fintech development provides valuable perspective for his new role overseeing Visa’s established money movement platform.
Announcing his appointment via LinkedIn, Adam outlined his priorities for the role. He stated he would be leading the growth of the business and working to shape the future of money movement in the region. This focus on expansion suggests continued investment in Visa Direct’s capabilities across both the UK and Irish markets.
‘I’ve taken on a new role as Head of Visa Direct, UK & Ireland, where I’ll be leading the growth of the business and working with some truly amazing colleagues to shape the future of money movement in our region.
Adam Moulson, Head of Visa Direct, UK & Ireland
Anyone who knows me will know how much I love building in payments. From my years at Swift, to co‑founding and scaling Form3, to helping build a modern embed banking platform at Griffin Bank. I’ve been fortunate to work with brilliant teams and partner with amazing clients to solve real‑world challenges in moving money efficiently, safely, and at scale.’
The appointment comes at a critical juncture for real-time payments infrastructure. Visa Direct has become increasingly central to the company’s strategy as consumer and business demand for instant payment solutions continues to grow. The platform enables financial institutions, fintechs, and businesses to facilitate near-instant money movement across multiple use cases, from peer-to-peer transfers to business disbursements.
Adam’s experience in commercial strategy development will prove valuable as Visa navigates an increasingly competitive payments landscape. The UK market in particular has seen significant innovation in instant payments infrastructure, with both traditional banks and fintech challengers investing heavily in real-time payment capabilities. Ireland, whilst a smaller market, plays an important role in European financial services due to its position as a hub for international payments companies.
What’s next for Visa?
The appointment reflects the broader trends within the payments industry, where companies are increasingly drawing leadership talent from the fintech sector. Adam’s background in both established financial infrastructure and emerging fintech ventures positions him to bridge traditional banking capabilities with innovative payment solutions.
His priorities will likely include expanding partnerships with financial institutions and fintechs, developing new use cases for instant payments, and ensuring the platform meets evolving regulatory requirements across both jurisdictions. The success of these initiatives will be crucial as Visa faces competition from both established payment networks and emerging solutions.
The transition highlights the dynamic nature of leadership within payments infrastructure, where the ability to adapt to rapid technological change and shifting consumer preferences remains paramount. As Adam assumes responsibility for the region, the industry will be watching to see how his approach shapes the development of instant payment capabilities across the UK and Ireland.