Jim Lester joins BitPay as first Chief Operating Officer

By Edlyn Cardoza

BitPay, one of the world’s largest providers of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment services, recently announced Jim Lester as the company’s first Chief Operating Officer (COO). With over 25 years experience, including as SVP of Product Management, Strategy, and Marketing within Fiserv’s electronic billing and payments division, Lester brings extensive FinTech, product and money movement expertise. As COO, Lester is focused on overseeing BitPay’s blockchain product innovation as the company continues growth and preps for the next phase of its crypto market expansion.

“We brought in a Chief Operating Officer as we continue to scale as more payments move to the blockchain and to expand the company’s leadership position as the largest global blockchain payments provider,” Stephen Pair, CEO of BitPay, said. “Jim is a perfect fit for continued product innovation and to lead BitPay’s operation, customer support, sales and account management teams.”

Previously, Lester served as CEO and board director of ThingTech, where he was responsible for the overall strategic execution of the business. In addition, he held various executive-level positions at McKesson, all of which focused on revenue cycle and payments solutions within healthcare, serving as VP of Product Management and Strategy for McKesson RelayHealth and VP Growth and Innovation in its largest software division, McKesson Health Solutions. Formerly, he was the Chief Marketing and Product Officer (CMO/CPO) at a VC-backed banking and lending technology company, leading triple-digit growth initiatives. He holds a BS from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and is a patent holder.

“The blockchain space represents a massive opportunity for disruption, especially within payments, and my goal is to prepare BitPay to extend its market leadership position. BitPay has the opportunity to evolve as the market changes and own the future of payments on the blockchain. I look forward to leveraging my background in operational readiness, product strategy and revenue growth to scale BitPay’s products and services to meet this demand,” shared Lester.

BitPay enables businesses to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment without buying, owning, or managing crypto. Any BitPay merchant can accept cryptocurrency for purchases with Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Dogecoin (DOGE), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Shiba Inu (SHIB), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), and five USD-pegged stable coins (BUSD, DAI, GUSD, USDP, and USDC).