Alejandro Pinzon
CEO
DRUO
Biography
Alejandro is a four-time founder, mentor, and global speaker on payments and entrepreneurship with 15 years of experience across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. He brings deep expertise in engineering, risk, and compliance, along with firsthand experience launching and scaling payment systems worldwide. Motivated by the limitations of legacy rails, he founded DRUO, a global direct debit payment network that enables businesses to accept payments directly from bank accounts, both locally and internationally. DRUO connects 10,000 financial institutions around the world, serves over 1.5 million users, and has processed more than $300 million USD in total volume. The company has been accelerated by Visa and Plug & Play, recognized as a Top 20 Startup globally and Top 4 fintech by the 2026 4YFN Awards (Mobile World Congress), and most recently secured investment led by Mastercard’s former President of Europe and Latin America—fueling its global expansion and validating Alejandro’s vision. Alejandro is also a two-time elected member of NACHA’s Global Payments Advisory Committee at the PIA, where he helps shape the future of account-to-account payments in the U.S. and abroad.
How is the nominee propelling the industry forward?
Alejandro is transforming his frustration with legacy payment systems into a bold vision: building the world’s first global direct-debit network. After 15 years working across the U.S., Latin America, Europe, and Asia, he saw how cost, complexity, and exclusion left billions at a disadvantage. Leveraging his expertise in engineering, risk, and compliance, he designed a new global rail that removes up to a dozen intermediaries—enabling free or ultra-low-cost payments, reducing fraud, and expanding access to any business serving banked customers. His mission is personal: creating a more level financial playing field to support global economic development. Under his leadership, DRUO connects 10,000 financial institutions, serves more than 1.5 million users, and is expected to operate in more than 30 countries by Q2 2026—demonstrating that a modern, inclusive, cross-border rail is both possible and scalable. Beyond building infrastructure, Alejandro actively shares insights and mentors founders, helping shape the global conversation around the future of financial architecture and a more inclusive payments ecosystem.
Where do you see the nominee succeeding in the future?
Alejandro aims to lead DRUO as a category leader for global direct debit across most G20 markets, expanding modern direct-debit infrastructure worldwide. He seeks to prove that true financial innovation comes from bold reinvention rather than incremental improvement, while encouraging greater creativity across financial services to unlock the next generation of payment innovation. By challenging long-standing limitations, he hopes to inspire entrepreneurs and industry leaders and advance economic development and financial inclusion—enabling broader participation in the global economy through access to a bank account.