Fintech Expert. AI Practitioner.
Product Manager of semi-integrated EMV payment solution that grew from $5M to $40M ARR, adopted by Fortune 500 retailers, QSRs, and ISVs.
Management of 4 payment products simultaneously that generated 60% of overall company revenue.
Accelerated underwriting and implementation timelines by 50% through automation of PayFac and ERP integration processes.
Led refresh of EMV device product offering which resulted in 30% boost in EMV card-present revenue alongside a 70% support case reduction.
Enabled for a fast-growing fintech through the implementation of process enhancements and role clarity.
Achieved by designing and deploying an AI-assisted lead-generation monitoring and alerting tool for a consulting client.
Contributed to $12M+ in team revenue by performing 150+ client demos and POCs, increasing deal win rate by 15%.
New merchants onboarded within 6 months of launching a next-gen ERP embedded payments solution.
Product leader who has owned B2B, B2C, Omnichannel, and SaaS payment products generating 60% of company revenue and driven ARR growth from $5M to $40M. Demonstrated success launching products that reduced implementation timelines by 50%, increased EMV revenue by 30%, and added 100+ new customers in 6 months. Known for translating technical complexity into business outcomes across payments, embedded finance, and eCommerce.
Actively Seeking Full-Time Opportunities
Open to full-time remote positions (non-contract) in fintech, AI, or a blend of both. Interested in a variety of roles including Product Manager, Business Analyst, Product Owner, Technical Account Manager, Sales Engineer, Solutions Architect, and more.
Self-Employed
Versapay
Verifone, Inc.
Verifone, Inc.
Verifone, Inc.
Determining if item is bug, enhancement, gap, or compliance mandate.
Alignment of item compared to company strategic initiatives and ROI.
Quantifying reach and business value against development effort.
Creation of User Stories and cross-team collaboration as necessary.
Scheduling work based on capacity. Ensuring stakeholders remain informed.
I have always gravitated toward roles where I can own both the strategy and the execution. The kind of work where I am presenting a product roadmap to executives one day and digging into API documentation with the engineering team the next. I find that versatility is what separates good outcomes from great ones.
When I joined Versapay, I was the only Product Manager. There were no formal processes, no roadmaps, no Agile framework, and no systems to support any of it. I built the product management function from the ground up while simultaneously owning four payment products that ultimately generated 60% of company revenue. That experience taught me to thrive in ambiguity, create structure where none exists, and deliver results even when resources are limited.
More recently, I made a deliberate investment in AI. Not because it was trendy, but because I saw firsthand how it was reshaping the products I had spent my career building. I started learning prompt engineering, deploying local language models, and building AI-powered prototypes. One of those prototypes, a social media monitoring tool, grew a client's sales pipeline by 40%. That combination of deep fintech domain knowledge and hands-on AI capability is what I bring to every engagement.
I take ownership. I stay curious. I build things that matter.
Applications designed and built through prompt engineering, demonstrating practical use of AI-assisted development workflows. This collection is actively maintained and growing.
Flask app demonstrating the payment authorization lifecycle with Stripe sandbox, SQLite transaction logging, and SQL analytics dashboard.
Python CLI tool for analyzing payment transaction data including auth rates, declines, chargebacks, and volume metrics.
CLI tool that generates structured PRDs from feature ideas using Anthropic Claude or local Ollama models.
Configuration-driven Python tool for generating and distributing automated HTML/PDF reports from multiple data sources.
AI-assisted lead generation tool that monitors social media for high-intent sales signals and sends real-time Discord alerts.
A tongue-in-cheek Python tool that analyzes earnings calls and corporate communications for buzzword density.
"Under John's leadership his product grew from a $5M offering to over $40M in recurring revenue in a three year period. He is a team leader, a mentor, and great communicator. He is ready to assume a role of greater challenge and leadership."
W.H., Director, Verifone Inc.
"John has a unique skill set of being highly technical but also business and solution focused. I've seen John grow professionally and personally over the past decade and strongly recommend him."
J.M., CEO North America, Verifone
"John Simpson is an expert in the financial payments industry. His attention to detail is one of his greatest assets. He is the go-to resource in Product Management. He has a holistic view of a solution, understanding it is not a black box but multiple components that make a solution successful."
B.M., Program Manager, Verifone
"John can be trusted to drive cross-functional teams towards their goals while effectively addressing the needs of customers large and small."
C.A., Vice President, Product Management, Verifone
"He brings a sense of urgency to every project, leads intuitively, and keeps client needs front and center. He's the kind of teammate who makes everyone around him better."
J.H., Solution Engineer, Chargent
"John's ability to consume disparate information and mold it into an executable roadmap deliverable greatly contributed to the success of my division."
W.H., Director, Verifone Inc.
"John set the bar for the North America solution Implementation Managers. As a customer facing senior project manager, John ensured complex customer solutions were delivered on time and budget with high quality and customer satisfaction."
B.F., Senior Leadership, Verifone
"John was one of the most dedicated professionals I worked with while at Verifone. His ability to juggle multiple projects at once was on par with the best. This made a dramatic difference in the productivity level of our entire team."
J.W., Product and Commercial Executive, Verifone
"John is a highly skilled and driven individual. He's well versed in payment terminal, POS integration, and solution delivery. He always puts the client first and executes business priorities very well even when the decision is tough to make."
J.C., Executive Director, Product Management, Verifone
"John would be an outstanding asset to any company. His technical knowledge base of the payments industry is strong. He has both technical skills and communication skills that allow any level of merchant to understand the complexity of payments."
V.H-W., Senior Success Manager, Swiftlane
Full recommendations can be verified via LinkedIn Profile
BBA, Computer Information Systems
Savannah State University
I would love to hear from you. Whether you have a role in mind or just want to connect, feel free to reach out.