Afshin Yazdian

Executive Chairman and CEO, Kurv

Afshin Yazdian, Executive Chairman & CEO of Kurv, brings 20+ years in payments, blending strategy with a people-first approach. A proud dad, traveler, and community supporter, he’s taken 3 companies public, leading with heart, experience, and vision. Afshin Yazdian is the Executive Chairman and CEO of Kurv, formerly Electronic Merchant Systems. Drawing on over two decades of executive and payments experience, Yazdian has built a world-class leadership team, modernized the organization, and positioned Kurv as one of the fastest-growing fintech companies in the industry. Before Kurv, Yazdian was CEO of Paysafe Merchant Solutions, a Blackstone and CVC-backed organization. Under Yazdian’s leadership, Paysafe grew to become the fourth-largest non-bank payment solutions provider in the US. There, he led the company through a comprehensive restructuring and turnaround. He focused on driving operational efficiency and significantly improving sales performance, which boosted the organization’s overall financial health. During his tenure, Paysafe became a fast-growing and highly profitable organization, leading to a pivotal go-public transaction in 2021. Yazdian also served as President of Priority Technology Holdings and was previously President and CEO of Cynergy Data before its merger with Priority. At Cynergy / Priority, he led the efforts to reconstruct Cynergy’s operations after it was acquired by Private Equity, streamlining platforms to drive scalable growth. Due to his direction, Priority became a top-10 US payment solutions provider. Throughout his career, Yazdian has consistently leveraged deep industry expertise and strategic vision to drive innovation and enhance the payments experience for thousands of merchants nationwide. Yazdian has taken three companies public over the course of his career, demonstrating a strong acumen for business development and tactical expansion — expertise he now brings to the Kurv organization. When not reshaping the payments industry, Yazdian is an avid sports fan who enjoys traveling the globe with his wife and two sons, having culinary adventures, and giving back to the community through his involvement with several charitable organizations.