Paysend, the UK-based fintech, has appointed Alberto Macciani as global chief marketing officer.

Alberto will focus on developing Paysend’s global brand and marketing strategy to support the firm’s rapid growth. His appointment is part of Paysend’s strategy grow globally by making what was once laborious, slow and expensive to move money across borders simple, quick and low cost.

Alberto joins from Unilever where he was a global vice president responsible for its household care business globally, running a team of over 70 people in multiple regions. He led the strategy and business delivery for one of Unilever’s oldest and biggest brands, Sunlight and achieved a major turnaround, bringing Sunlight back into profitable and competitive growth. Prior to this, Alberto was responsible for various global and local businesses in Home & Personal Care and Foods at Unilever in Europe and Asia.

Launched just two years ago, Paysend’s money transfer service, Global Transfers, already serves more than 1.3 million users across the globe.

Paysend’s growth stems from the rise of people who are increasingly living their lives across borders. Mobile workers and international students who live and work in one country while financially providing for, or relying on, others in another country.

Alberto Macciani, global CMO at Paysend, said: “Moving money changes lives. Paysend customers working overseas frequently send money home to support the needs of their families. The money may be for food and housing. It may be for better education and schooling, or it may be for travel and luxuries.

“Paysend is helping its customers to keep more of their money which can then go a lot further in their home country. I’m looking forward to helping to launch and market new services soon. This will make paying, holding and sending money globally even easier and cheaper, hence helping people make most of their savings.”

World Bank figures show that there are now 270m people worldwide who live outside their home country, sending an estimated $689bn home. This is almost ten times as much as it was in 1990.

Some of the most popular destinations for sending money from Europe are China, India, Philippines, Poland, Nigeria and Ukraine. All benefit from foreign transfers as money sent home helps grow the local economy and support societal needs.

Paysend charges the same transfer rate, regardless of whether it is buying or selling a currency. This means the only cost to customers is a £1 transaction fee.