Sailing
Martin van Lessen
Payment IT Program-, Project- And Test Manager
Bamberg
Summary
Accomplished Senior Business Consultant, Project Manager, and Payments Expert with over 20 years of experience in financial systems, card payments, and regulatory compliance. Expertise in managing SEPA Card Clearing, KYC processes, and international payment systems. Proven skills in PRINCE2 project management, Agile methods (SAFe, Scrum), and requirements engineering. Exceptional track record in implementing complex IT systems and ensuring adherence to EU Anti-Money Laundering Directives.
Overview
2024
2024
years of professional experience
1995
1995
years of post-secondary education
4
4
Certifications
2
2
Languages
Work History
Senior IT Project Manager girocard
EURO Kartensysteme GmbH
6 2023 - 12.2023
- Managed girocard-related projects, including IT integration and operational improvements
- Ensured compliance with card payment regulations and optimized project workflows
- Collaborated with stakeholders to align deliverables with strategic objectives
Business Analyst and Test Engineer
Atruvia AG
08.2022 - 10.2022
- Designed and tested new investment advisory software using Agile (SAFe, Scrum) methodologies
- Developed BPMN processes, executed release tests, and provided adjustments
- Tools used: Aqua, Jira, Confluence, draw.io, MS Excel
Head of Mastercard Dispute Resolution
Fiserv Germany
08.2018 - 09.2019
- Led a Mastercard-driven program to update chargeback processes
- Managed a team of 60 in a matrix organization, delivering 9,000 internal work hours
- Negotiated with external software providers to ensure timely deliverables
Head of Workstream Payments | Brexit Project
Ford Credit Europe
11.2017 - 03.2018
- Oversaw payment solutions for the establishment of a new bank in cooperation with KPMG
- Negotiated a critical agreement with the German Central Bank, ensuring project go-live
- Delivered solutions for regulatory compliance and operational readiness
Test Manager Card Payments
Raiffeisen Switzerland
08.2017 - 11.2017
- Planned and executed cross-platform testing for card payment systems during a core banking migration
- Conducted vendor coordination and test documentation reviews
Project Manager | 4th EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive
Fondsdepotbank, Hof
05.2017 - 07.2017
- Led the project to implement compliance measures for the 4th EU AML Directive
- Conducted requirement analysis, solution development, and project planning
Test Engineer | Core Banking Transformation
Postfinance, Bern
01.2017 - 05.2017
- Developed automated test cases for payment processing using TOSCA software
- Contributed to the successful testing phase of the bank's core transformation
Payments Expert and Test Engineer
Zürcher Kantonalbank, Zurich
10.2015 - 11.2016
- Mapped ISO20022 formats to legacy systems using GEFEG FX
- Designed and executed automated test cases for SWIFT, EuroSic, and SEPA using TOSCA
Senior Business Consultant
PPI Schweiz GmbH, Zurich, Switzerland
05.2015 - 04.2016
- Provided expertise in SEPA migration, ISO 20022, and SWIFT standards for financial institutions
- Acted as a speaker on SEPA Card Clearing at industry events, promoting the benefits of SEPA standardization
- Supported clients in transitioning to ISO 20022 standards, ensuring smooth operational shifts
SEPA Expert and Working Group Leader
CardProcess GmbH, Frankfurt
02.2012 - 09.2015
- Led the SEPA Card Clearing (SCC) working group and represented the team in national committees
- Developed SEPA requirements documents and collaborated with cross-functional stakeholders
Product & Network Manager | Global Transaction Banking
UniCredit Bank AG
02.2008 - 08.2010
- KYC Implementation Lead for the 3rd EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive
- Developed solutions for payment systems and compliance across global operations
- Conducted training sessions on CDD tools for international teams
Savings Bank Clerk as Counter Staff
Sparkasse LeerWittmund
05.1995 - 07.1995
- Managed customer service operations in Rheiderland branches
Training as a Savings Bank Clerk
Sparkasse LeerWittmund
08.1992 - 04.1995
- Completed training in banking operations, customer service, and regulatory compliance
Education
Certified Savings Bank Clerk -
Savings Bank Academy Hanover
Abitur - General Higher Education Entrance Qualification
Ubbo-Emmius-Gymnasium
Skills
Project Management
PRINCE2
IPMA Level D
MS Project
Payment Systems Expertise
SEPA
SWIFT (MT/MX)
ISO 20022
EBICS
SEPA Card Clearing (SCC)
Test Management
TOSCA
HP ALM
Jira
Confluence
Requirements Engineering
CPRE-IREB certified
Agile methods
Tools and Technologies
Microsoft Office Suite
GEFEG FX
Lotus Notes
ADD-Online
drawio
Card Payments
chargebacks
scheme compliance
operational optimization
Project scheduling
Software development life cycle
Stakeholder management
Risk management
Client relations
Certification
PRINCE2 Foundation Certificate in Project Management, COMPUTARE GmbH, Bern, 2016
Seminarsandtraining
- Conflict Management, UniCredit Bank AG, 2008
- Card Payments from A to Z, IFF Seminar, Wiesbaden, 2012
- Innovations and Change in Payments, VÖB Symposium, Berlin, 2012
- Training Requirements Engineering & Scrum, SOPHIST GmbH, Nuremberg, 2014
- SeCuRe Pay Training, SYNGENIO AG, Munich, 2014
- PRINCE2 Foundation Training, COMPUTARE GmbH, Bern, 2015
- CIBI Innovation Day, IBI Research, Regensburg, 2018
Lecturesandspeeches
- Customer Due Diligence / KYC Database, IIR’s 18th Annual Correspondent & Relationship Banking Conference, London, 2009
- Basel III in Payments & Treasury, W-Jax Conference, Munich, 2012
- Basel III in Payments & Treasury, CPG Workshop, Hamburg, 2013
- SEPA Card Clearing: Success and Learnings (co-presented with customer CEO), ProfitCard Conference, Wiesbaden, 2014
- SEPA Card Clearing, Van den Berg Information Forum, Herzogenrath, 2014
- Card Payments and ISO 20022: A Chance for Switzerland?, ISO Top Event, Zurich, 2015
Personal Information
- Date of Birth: 07/17/73
- Nationality: German
Interests
Dogs
Yoga
Calesthenics
Hiking
Timeline
Business Analyst and Test Engineer
Atruvia AG
08.2022 - 10.2022
Head of Mastercard Dispute Resolution
Fiserv Germany
08.2018 - 09.2019
Head of Workstream Payments | Brexit Project
Ford Credit Europe
11.2017 - 03.2018
Test Manager Card Payments
Raiffeisen Switzerland
08.2017 - 11.2017
Project Manager | 4th EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive
Fondsdepotbank, Hof
05.2017 - 07.2017
Test Engineer | Core Banking Transformation
Postfinance, Bern
01.2017 - 05.2017
Payments Expert and Test Engineer
Zürcher Kantonalbank, Zurich
10.2015 - 11.2016
Senior Business Consultant
PPI Schweiz GmbH, Zurich, Switzerland
05.2015 - 04.2016
SEPA Expert and Working Group Leader
CardProcess GmbH, Frankfurt
02.2012 - 09.2015
Product & Network Manager | Global Transaction Banking
UniCredit Bank AG
02.2008 - 08.2010
Savings Bank Clerk as Counter Staff
Sparkasse LeerWittmund
05.1995 - 07.1995
Training as a Savings Bank Clerk
Sparkasse LeerWittmund
08.1992 - 04.1995
Abitur - General Higher Education Entrance Qualification
Ubbo-Emmius-Gymnasium
Senior IT Project Manager girocard
EURO Kartensysteme GmbH
6 2023 - 12.2023
Certified Savings Bank Clerk -
Savings Bank Academy Hanover