• Michael Misasi, Senior Director, Strategic Partner Management at BlueSnap


• 10.03.2025 03:15 pm
#FintechLeadership #ChiefMonetisationOfficer

With traditional revenue models such as subscription fees and one-time sales becoming less reliable for driving business growth in today’s digital and competitive financial economy, financial technology companies are under pressure to diversify their revenue streams. 

The Peter Thiel-backed fintech Ramp, for example, does not solely rely on subscriptions to generate revenue anymore. The expense management platform collects interchange fees, and payment processing fees, and earns interest on funds held in customer accounts. Ramp’s diverse revenue streams have helped the company achieve financial stability, and in March 2025, the company doubled their valuation to $13bn. 

After seeing the results of such diversification, private equity firms are hungry. There is an imperative for software companies, now more than ever, to diversify revenue streams, and with that comes a new C-suite player. Enter the Chief Monetisation Officer (CMO). 

CMOs play a crucial role in bridging the gap between product innovation and revenue goals, ensuring that financial technology firms can capitalise on emerging trends, such as embedded finance, usage-based pricing, and AI-driven personalisation while delivering more value to customers. This shift reflects the growing recognition that monetisation is not just a financial necessity but a competitive advantage in the fintech industry.

What does it mean to be a Chief Monetisation Officer?

The dynamism in today’s market has motivated the rise of many disruptive technologies and helped businesses keep up with changing customer expectations. However, it has also highlighted the limitations of traditional revenue models, like subscription fees and one-time sales. This has made the introduction of a CMO a strategic priority for all growth-focused enterprises. The sentiment is also echoed by private equity investors and software executives, who realise that firms today need a strategic leader who is focused on championing innovative revenue strategies.

A CMO takes on the responsibility of optimising and managing the company's revenue generation approaches in order to help reach profit goals. To do this, they design and implement revenue models, develop pricing tactics, and foster strategic partnerships and joint ventures to boost sources of revenue. However, they are also liable for ensuring customer satisfaction so the business doesn’t sacrifice long-term goals for short-term gains.

The Power of Embedded Payments 

Within the strategic partnerships domain, one key strategy CMOs have been implementing to achieve their goals is embedded payments, which offer a seamless way to create value for customers whilst significantly boosting margins.

Embedded payments also consistently rank as a top priority for investors and executives because they help businesses reduce churn by offering additional value-added services without asking customers to leave the platform. This makes the customer experience more seamless and improves satisfaction. Embedded payment programs also increase revenue per customer via transaction fees or revenue-share arrangements and allow SaaS businesses to monetise commerce conducted on their platform, which is vital to maximise profits in today’s economic climate.

By giving growing companies the flexibility to enable and disable complementary financial services easily, embedded payments support business growth and expansion plans and set companies up for success. 

The Year of the CMO, and its Pathway

As the importance of a diversified revenue stream continues to increase, embedded payments will act as a cornerstone for corporate strategies. The diversification will help companies mitigate the risks associated with single-revenue-stream models.

The data generated from payments will be used to inform evidence-based decisions around product development, marketing strategies, and customer personalisation, enhancing the organisation’s ability to meet customer needs effectively. Moreover, as the payment processes are embedded, firms will gain more control over them. This will allow businesses to tailor the payment journey to their consumers’ specific needs and ensure a consistent brand experience.

All this will act as proof of a scalable and diversified growth model, which will enhance growth opportunities and make the enterprise more attractive to investors. This will contribute to an increase in the importance of the CMO and the role that they play in determining the overall direction of the company.

As firms navigate the evolving landscape of embedded finance and revenue diversification, the Chief Monetisation Officer is emerging as an essential addition to the C-suite, towing embedded payments, which is not just a technical enhancement. It’s a fundamental part of modern fintech business strategies. The ability to seamlessly integrate these processes into customer journeys will be essential for meeting investor and market expectations in 2025 and beyond.

For executives looking to secure their business’ future, hiring a Chief Monetisation Officer could be the key to unlocking new revenue opportunities and sustaining long-term growth in an increasingly complex financial ecosystem.