About Otto Benz

Otto Benz combines business knowledge in payments and banking with expertise in technology architecture and systems delivery. He has led major engagements in re-engineering industry utilities for payments, clearing and settlement in investment banking, credit cards and retail payments. He  has worked in both consulting and operational management roles and understands the nature of building and running systems and operations with critical performance and availability demands. Otto Benz graduated from Queens' College, Cambridge with a degree in Engineering, and has worked extensively in the UK and across Europe. He is currently Payments Director for Nationwide Building Society. Director of Payments for Nationwide Building Society since March 2021 - is responsible for payments operations, strategy and change for the society, delivering valuable and resilient payments experiences to its members, as well as influencing the UK payments industry. Previously Otto held the role of Payments Technical Service Director at Lloyds Banking Group, where he was responsible for industry and supplier relationships, payments strategy, liquidity, resilience, security and key programs of renewal for payments infrastructure across the Group. Otto is a graduate of Queens College Cambridge, where he studied engineering. Since graduation, Otto developed his career at IBM, Swiss Bank, Accenture and Virgin Money. Over that time, he has worked extensively in programs of change and IT and has had leading roles in strategy engagements and operations. He has wide experience in financial services, working mainly in retail and investment banking, focussing on payments, clearing and settlement. Otto has been responsible for the architecture and implementation of domestic, international and card payments systems, and has worked in issuing, acquiring and central agency and utility organizations, as well as banks and other retail lenders. Otto has been a Director of BACS and Payments UK, and sat on the Strategy Forum of the Payments Systems Regulator, where he co-chaired the workstream in charge of creating the vision for the New Payments Architecture. Otto Benz brings experience from previous roles at Lloyds Banking Group, Payments Uk, Payments Strategy Forum and Virgin Money. Otto Benz holds a 1987 - 1990 Master of Arts in Engineering @ University of Cambridge. With a robust skill set that includes Software Project Management, Business Analysis, Business Process Improvement, Consultancy, Management and more.