PayIt rings in new year with expanded executive team, repeat GovTech 100 honors 

January 13, 2020  |  Startland News Staff

GovTech leader PayIt continues its rapid growth after a massive 2019 funding year, thanks to the hiring of another key C-suite executive — a 20-year veteran in enterprise software sales and leadership.

Neil Graham, PayIt

Neil Graham, PayIt

The move puts Neil Graham in the role of PayIt’s first chief revenue officer, and brings the executive team of the industry award-winning Kansas City startup to six. Graham began work Monday, arriving most recently from San Diego-based Tealium, where he served as vice president of Americas, helping scale and grow company revenue from $18 million to more than $100 million.

“As we got to know those that have worked for and with Neil, we grew more confident that Neil was someone of high aptitude, high integrity, highly competitive, and a leader that excels at delivering highly-valuable, digital transformation solutions to clients,” said John Thomson, PayIt CEO and co-founder.

Graham is expected to drive PayIt’s continued scaling and expansion of digital government solutions within the U.S. and abroad throughout 2020 and beyond. The startup already has doubled in size since December of 2018, according to Thomson.

Before his five years at Tealium, Graham ran the western sales territories for Jive Software and spent nine years with Salesforce, both in a sales leadership role and as a top performer in the enterprise sales space.

Alexandru Otrezov, John Thomson, and Mike Plunkett, PayIt

Alexandru Otrezov, John Thomson, and Mike Plunkett, PayIt

In addition to Thomson and Graham, PayIt’s leadership also includes Mike Plunkett, COO and CFO; Richard Garbi, chief technical officer; Alex Otrezov, chief marketing officer; and Mike Wons, chief client officer.

Otrezov, a former Uber marketing head, was hired in 2019, a few months after PayIt secured a more than $100 million investment from New York-based Insight Partners.

Click here to read more about PayIt’s 2019 investment news.

Graham’s hiring comes on the heels of PayIt earning a fourth-consecutive spot on the GovTech 100 list — “a compendium of 100 companies focused on, making a difference in, and selling to state and local government agencies across the United States.”

Click here to check out the full GovTech 100 list.

“The PayIt platform brings the potential to transform how government delivers secure, omni-channel, and easy-to-use experiences to hundreds of millions of citizens like you and me every day,” said Graham. “After spending time evaluating new market opportunities, PayIt became clearly differentiated for me due to its rock solid technology, rapid disruptive growth, and it’s world-class team. I’m elated to join the company and help significantly build, scale and grow the go-to-market operations.”

[adinserter block="4"]

2020 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    LISTEN: Gripp helps farmers get a handle on multiple ag apps with dead-simple record keeping platform

    By Tommy Felts | October 20, 2025

    On this episode of our 12-part Plug and Play Topeka podcast series, we explore how agtech startup Gripp is bringing structure and simplicity to farm operations. Its helps farmers connect their teams, track equipment and assets, and turn everyday routines into shared knowledge. Having grown up on a Wisconsin farm, co-founder and CEO Tracey Wiedmeyer…

    A St. Joe CEO handed him a franchise after graduation; two years later, the risk is paying off 

    By Tommy Felts | October 17, 2025

    Spencer Engelman’s expectations for his post-college career were shredded by an offer he couldn’t refuse. The Northwest Missouri State University graduate was awarded a business of his own — minus the franchise fee — by a veteran entrepreneur who had visited one of his classes. “It’s a crazy opportunity,” said Engelman, who now operates a DocuLock…

    What a catch: Kansas City fandom creates custom appeal for taco-loving cartoonist vibe

    By Tommy Felts | October 17, 2025

    Drawing from Kansas City’s spotlight moments — whether trendy and new or iconic and timeless — W. Dave Keith balances a quirky aesthetic with a practical focus on what will actually sell. “I’ve slowly learned that if I want to make money off this business, I need to make stuff that people want to buy,”…

    Power through purpose: How a winding journey led this eco devo steward to deep-rooted impact

    By Tommy Felts | October 17, 2025

    Editor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri (EDCKC). Click here to read the original story. [divide] Going behind the scenes of CCED with the people who make it happen Some people are drawn to city-building because of the bricks and steel, the architecture, the skyline, the…