The appointment adds to a series of recent senior hires that signal a broader internal overhaul. In February, the company brought in Michael Muriuki as Chief Product and Technology Officer, followed in March by Darren Makarem as Chief Financial Officer, reflecting a deliberate rebuilding of its executive structure after earlier departures.
In his new role, Hernandez will oversee core operational functions including merchant onboarding, transaction processing, and customer growth systems. A key part of his mandate will be reducing payment failures, improving system reliability, and enhancing transaction visibility across fragmented markets—issues that remain central to scaling fintech infrastructure across Africa.
With more than 25 years of experience across financial services and fintech, Hernandez has held senior positions at institutions such as GE Capital and Demica, where he worked on global operating models, regulatory frameworks, and cross-market financial systems. His background is expected to support Cellulant’s push to strengthen execution discipline as transaction volumes grow.
Commenting on the appointment, Cellulant Chief Executive Officer Peter O’Toole emphasized that operational resilience is becoming a defining factor in the payments industry. According to him, sustained growth in transaction volume requires deliberate investment in systems that ensure reliability and trust, particularly as the company expands its services to enterprise clients across the continent.
Hernandez, on his part, framed his focus around improving execution efficiency and system dependability, stressing that consistent performance and clear transaction visibility are essential to building confidence among businesses using digital payment platforms.
Founded in 2004, Cellulant has grown into one of Africa’s established payment infrastructure providers, enabling businesses to accept payments across more than 20 markets through a single integration. The company now processes an estimated 4.5 million transactions daily and achieved profitability in 2024, marking a significant milestone in its operational history.
As competition intensifies from both fintech startups and traditional banks developing in-house payment systems, Cellulant’s recent executive appointments reflect a strategic shift toward strengthening internal execution capacity. The coordinated hires across product, finance, and operations suggest a renewed focus on reliability, scalability, and regulatory readiness in markets where payment infrastructure remains uneven and rapidly evolving.