About Us

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Our Mission

The core values of the Merchant Industry inspire us to strive for excellence in everything that we do. Our card processing company stands apart from other companies by delivering unparalleled payment processing services to enable business like yours to succeed. As a Merchant Industry valued client, you will receive a robust suite of payment processing solutions designed to deliver unsurpassed value. Your success is our success!

Our Team

Vaden Landers
CEO
Azadeh Agajhani
CFO
Josh Namia
CoS
Dan O’Connell
COO
Leo Vartanov
Chairman
Chris Benabu
CRO
Maxim Rokhline
CTO/CPO
Jennifer Vartanov
CHRO
Jennie Tufano
CCO
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Interested in joining our team?

Learn more about career opportunities with Merchant Industry
Vaden Landers
Chief Executive Officer

A trusted and respected leader with more than 38 years of functional leadership in the payments industry, Vaden has served in an executive-level capacity at multiple public and private Fintechs, including Global Payments (NYSE: GPN), iPayment, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPMT), and USIO, Inc. (NASDAQ: USIO).
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Azadeh Agahjani
Chief Financial Officer

Azadeh is a highly accomplished financial leader with 15+ years of experience in key roles at BNY Mellon, TSYS, BNY Pershing, and Barclaycard. She leads financial operations in the business and is responsible for developing financial strategies and ensuring all necessary compliance and controls are in place.
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Josh Namia
Chief of Staff

With 20+ years of payment industry experience, Josh acts as a strategic advisor and partner to the CEO and other top executives, providing support across the organization while overseeing key strategic initiatives and optimization of workflows to ensure overall organizational effectiveness.
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Dan O’Connell
Chief Operating Officer

Leveraging more than 25 years of payments and fintech experience, Dan is responsible for all operational aspects of the business, including risk, underwriting, compliance, account onboarding, customer & technical support, deployment, and retention.
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Leo Vartanov
Chairman

Leo is the Founder and former CEO of Merchant Industry (MI) and was the driving force behind the explosive growth experienced over the past 12+ years, culminating in the sale of the business in August ‘25 to Lovell Minnick Partners (LMP), a well-known and respected Private Equity firm based in Manhattan, NY.
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Christopher Benabu
Chief Revenue Officer

A Co-Founder of MI, Chris is a proven business leader who has responsibility for the optimization of all revenue-generating activities within the organization, including sales, marketing, customer success, and revenue cycle optimization as required to achieve large-scale growth and profitability.
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Maxim Rokhline
Chief Product & Technology Officer

Maxim Rokhline is a seasoned executive with a rich background in financial services, technology, and product management. Max’s career has been dedicated to innovating payment systems and enhancing transaction banking solutions. He leads the company’s product, engineering, and technical infrastructure initiatives.
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Jennifer Vartanov
Chief Human Resources Officer

A St. John’s University graduate, Jennifer has dedicated her talents to overseeing the many financial aspects of a fast-growing company. Her hard work from the first day has contributed to the growth the company has experienced over the past 10+ years. Her expertise in her field at such a young age is unprecedented and her incredible work ethic as well as her tireless energy is the engine to keeping this company on a firm but expanding financial footing. As the company expanded from a small office with two people to multiple offices and hundreds of people she has kept her finger on the pulse of not only the company’s needs but the industry as well allowing Merchant Industry to stay nimble, responsive and at the forefront of an ever evolving and fluid market.
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Jennie Tufano
Chief Compliance Officer

Jennie Tufano is a veteran leader in the merchant processing industry with over 20 years of experience. With a sharp focus on underwriting, risk management, compliance, and operational strategy, she plays a critical role in safeguarding the integrity and growth of the company and portfolio of merchants.
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