PayIt hires former Uber disruptive marketing leader as KC govtech startup’s first CMO
August 6, 2019 | Startland News Staff
Kansas City-based govtech startup PayIt is downloading executive expertise from the West Coast, John Thomson said Tuesday, announcing PayIt’s first chief marketing officer — a former leader at Uber.
PayIt’s Elevator Pitch
PayIt is simplifying doing business with state, local, and federal government through its award-winning digital government and payment platform. Along with our government partners, we are transforming the customer experience and making government more modern, convenient, and mobile.
Based in San Francisco, Alexandru Otrezov will lead PayIt’s marketing organization and continue to accelerate the company’s brand and growth efforts, said Thomson, co-founder and CEO of PayIt, a headline-grabbing digital government and payment platform.
“Alex is a world-class marketing executive that cares deeply about PayIt’s mission to ‘Simplify Government,’” he added. “We’re thrilled to have Alex join us at this exciting time as we continue to accelerate the pace of innovation in digitizing government services.”
Otrezov most recently served as head of search and experimentation at Uber, where he led teams responsible for growth across all Uber brands, according to a PayIt press release. He previously worked as senior director of search operations at Expedia, and served in numerous leadership roles at several startups which exited through strategic acquisitions.
“I am extremely excited about the disruptive solution PayIt brings to simplify the customer experience with our government partners,” Otrezov said. “With the help of our experienced leadership team, I am looking forward to introducing our award winning platform into every consumer’s life. I believe that by improving accessibility to government services, we can improve the quality of life for many.”
Led by Thomson and Mike Plunkett, co-founder and COO/CFO, PayIt secured a more than $100 million investment from New York-based Insight Partners in March. Just two months later, the startup received $25 million in follow-on investment by Tampa-based Weatherford Capital.
Thomson indicated in March the company would focus on growing its team to better meet PayIt’s goal to be a transformative force in the govtech space.
Click here to read more about PayIt’s big investment.
Featured Business

2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Why employers should hire veterans: KC entrepreneurs say combat prepared them for startup life
Effectively communicating the skills and experiences gained from military service can be a major challenge for veterans, said Zachary Oshinbanjo. Too often that disconnect contributes to unemployment or mental health struggles when a service member returns to civilian life. “Many veterans may have gone straight from high school into the military and now are looking…
Bank partners with Porter House to give out more than hugs; Meet four latest KC grant recipients
Cameron Martin understands the importance of scaling deep into the community that inspired his journey and first fed the business he built with his wife, Tameisha, he said. The co-owners of Love is Key — a waffle-centric brunch restaurant and catering concept in the former Soulcentricitea space on Troost Avenue — were awarded a $15,000…
Cannabis biz expected to grow like a weed after MO voters light recreational marijuana
Tuesday’s vote in favor of recreational marijuana in Missouri shows Kansas City’s obvious appetite for legalization, said Michael Wilson, whose cannabis startup sees a vast new market opened by the election outcome. Statewide, Missouri poll-goers this week approved the high-profile constitutional amendment with 53.1 percent of the more than 2 million votes cast. In Kansas…

