Introduction
Jean-Christophe Lacour plays a critical role in steering the innovation roadmap for Worldline, one of Europe’s largest and most diversified payment technology providers. In this interview, he shares his perspective on fintech evolution, product leadership, regulatory trends, and how Worldline is navigating a competitive and fast-changing market.
Interview with Jean-Christophe Lacour, Head of Product & Innovation, Worldline
Q1: Can you describe your current role at Worldline?
Lacour: I lead the Product Management and Innovation department, shaping our offering across acquiring, acceptance, and digital services.
Q2: How does Worldline differentiate itself from competitors like Adyen, Stripe, and Checkout.com?
Lacour: We offer the widest European acquiring footprint, strong regulatory knowledge, and deep sectoral specialization—especially in transportation, hospitality, and public sector payments.
Q3: What are Worldline’s key products?
Lacour: Our main pillars include acquiring, POS terminals, digital commerce solutions, and banking services including SEPA, instant payments, and account-based payments.
Q4: How is Worldline innovating around SEPA and instant payments?
Lacour: We’re pushing real-time experiences and developing overlay services like request-to-pay and cross-border instant settlement.
Q5: What are the main trends you’re observing in the European payments space?
Lacour: Real-time payments, embedded finance, open banking, and green payments are shaping the future of our ecosystem.
Q6: How does regulation impact product development at Worldline?
Lacour: Regulation is a catalyst. We turn compliance requirements into product opportunities, like with PSD2 and digital identity initiatives.
Q7: How do you maintain agility within such a large organization?
Lacour: We use a cross-functional product squad model with tight integration between compliance, tech, and product teams.
Q8: What role does AI play in your roadmap?
Lacour: AI enhances fraud detection, optimizes payment routing, and supports our chatbot and voice assistant initiatives.
Q9: Who are Worldline’s key competitors today?
Lacour: Stripe, Adyen, Nexi, and legacy banks that are becoming more digital. But our depth in Europe and industry-specific solutions give us an edge.
Q10: How important is sustainability in Worldline’s strategy?
Lacour: It’s central. We’ve launched green POS terminals and carbon tracking tools for merchants.
Q11: What markets are key for Worldline’s growth?
Lacour: DACH, Benelux, and CEE are strongholds, while we’re expanding deeper into Iberia and the Nordics.
Q12: What challenges do you face in product innovation?
Lacour: Balancing innovation with regulatory timelines and ensuring cross-market scalability is always complex.
Q13: Can you share an example of a recent successful launch?
Lacour: Our new cloud-based payment acceptance platform for hospitality has gained strong traction.
Q14: How do you foster a culture of innovation?
Lacour: We invest in internal hackathons, support intrapreneurship, and run pilots with fintechs through our accelerator.
Q15: How do you gather product feedback?
Lacour: We run merchant advisory boards, partner councils, and embed CX loops into our onboarding process.
Q16: What’s your take on embedded finance?
Lacour: It’s a game changer. We’re building APIs to embed payments into ERPs, booking engines, and retail platforms.
Q17: What do you look for when hiring product managers?
Lacour: Curiosity, execution mindset, and the ability to translate regulation into opportunity.
Q18: What advice would you give to fintech startups?
Lacour: Focus on compliance by design and target underserved verticals where incumbents are slow.
Q19: How do you see Worldline evolving in the next 5 years?
Lacour: We aim to lead in account-based payments, expand our ecosystem, and support EU digital sovereignty.
Q20: What motivates you personally in your role?
Lacour: The pace of change, working with diverse teams, and building solutions that power real economies.
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FAQ
What does Worldline do?
Worldline is a leading European payment provider offering services in acquiring, POS terminals, digital payments, and financial services.
Who is Jean-Christophe Lacour?
He is Head of Product Management and Innovation at Worldline, leading product and strategy across several verticals.
How does Worldline compare to Stripe or Adyen?
Worldline offers stronger coverage in Europe and industry-specific solutions, while Stripe and Adyen focus on global APIs and tech-driven scale.
