NUVEI VOICES: Meet Michael Cotter

From policing to payments, Michael Cotter’s career has been shaped by fast-moving environments, complex decision-making, and the need to adapt when no two days look the same. Today, as Global Head of Banking at Nuvei, he is responsible for building and managing the global banking network that keeps payments moving seamlessly across markets worldwide.

Building the network behind every payment, everywhere

At Nuvei, Michael’s role sits behind the scenes, but at the centre of how the business operates.

“At its core, my role is about building and managing a global banking network that enables Nuvei’s products, merchants and partners to operate seamlessly across markets. Our bank network underpins all of Nuvei’s payment flows globally.”

That network spans more than 70 legal entities and over 140 banking relationships. It supports everything from compliance, KYC and safeguarding client funds, through to settlement capabilities, payouts and card scheme integrations.

Scaling with complexity

Since joining Nuvei more than three and a half years ago, Michael has seen the scope of his role grow significantly.

“The biggest shift has been scale and complexity. As Nuvei has grown, particularly through acquisitions, we’ve had to integrate new entities, products and capabilities into one cohesive global framework.”

That means working closely with teams across legal, compliance, underwriting, commercial partnerships, APMs, finance, global expansion, card schemes, product and treasury - ensuring what’s delivered through banking partners can scale globally.

Some of the most rewarding moments have come from projects where that impact is clear: supporting global expansion, enabling new payment capabilities, direct acquiring in Canada, Mexico, Colombia and Australia, supporting the transition from PI to EMI in the United Kingdom, launching new APMs, and delivering cost savings through bank fee negotiations.

Building for resilience

A strong banking function is about more than access to partners. It’s about building infrastructure that can support growth and manage risk.

“Our strategy is centred on building a resilient multi-bank, multi-region infrastructure that supports acquiring, settlements, collections, APMs, treasury and risk management. It’s about enabling solutions for clients globally, in a compliant and scalable way.”

That means ensuring global coverage, adequate resilience, optimising costs, supporting key verticals, and staying aligned with regulatory requirements.

In a landscape that is constantly evolving, resilience matters. Regulation continues to shape the industry, particularly around client money and digital assets. For Michael, the focus is clear: balancing innovation with control.

Choosing the right partners

Successful banking partnerships come down to transparency, trust and fit. With Nuvei operating across multiple verticals, jurisdictions and capabilities, being clear on what the business is trying to achieve - and how it operates - is critical.

“When assessing partners, it’s not just about whether a bank can support us today - it’s whether they can support where we’re going as a business.”

Functional fit, operational capability, commercial terms, technology, risk appetite and overall resilience all play a role in that assessment.

A place to learn and build relationships quickly

As part of Nuvei’s senior leadership team, Michael’s view of leadership is centred on moving the business forward, but doing it in the right way.

“For me, leadership is about driving decision-making in a forward-looking, compliant way. It comes down to understanding the priorities, knowing who you need to engage with, and focusing your time where it matters.”

For those joining Nuvei or building a career in payments, Michael says the opportunity to learn is significant, but his advice is simple: understand payments. Payments are the backbone of the business. If you understand how they work, you are set up to succeed.

“You get exposure to a broad solution set and a business that operates across more than 50 acquiring markets. Given the complexity of the business, you learn and pick up a lot very quickly here at Nuvei.”

With a role that depends heavily on internal and external relationships, Michael highlights that success starts with understanding how people and teams operate.

“Internally, it’s about understanding the structure, responsibilities and interdependencies. Externally, it’s about being clear, transparent and building trust. And for partnerships to last, they need to be mutual - there has to be value on both sides.”

Life beyond banking

Outside of work, Michael recharges by spending time with family, watching football, enjoying good food and travelling - trying to go somewhere different each year. This year, that includes a cruise and a trip to Disneyland Paris with his children.

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