Inside Alex Chriss’s first year leading PayPal

It’s nearly been a year already — How is Chriss’s journey progressing?

As fall approached last year, PayPal began a major transformation: a change in leadership. While CEO transitions are not uncommon, this one stood out for PayPal. Daniel Schulman, who had been steering the ship since 2014, was departing. Schulman’s tenure was marked by pivotal moments, including the company’s spin-off from eBay and its evolution into an independent, publicly traded entity. Under his leadership, PayPal redefined itself and expanded its global reach. His departure left considerable expectations for his successor, who would need to navigate not only the legacy of Schulman’s transformative years but also address the company’s challenges at the time, including its underperforming stock that had lost nearly 20% value year-to-date and dwindling active user numbers.

On September 27, 2023, PayPal began a new chapter with Alex Chriss stepping into the CEO role.

As the industry digitizes, PayPal’s board sought a leader with a blend of expertise in global payments and technology to drive the company’s growth. When Chriss, who was employed at Intuit, was appointed from a pool of nine candidates, the board expressed strong confidence in their choice. However, the broader industry and analysts had a relatively tepid response, reflecting a cautious curiosity about how Chriss would steer PayPal into its next phase

A year into his tenure, we take a look at Chriss’s journey at PayPal through key events.

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