Middle East’s Most Trusted Leaders in Financial Services, 2025

Welcome to The Fortune Leader's Special

Edition “Middle East's Most Trusted Leaders in Financial Services, 2026.” In this landmark issue, we are proud to spotlight Prince Sehgal, Chief Executive Officer of ePay.me, a forward-thinking leader transforming the landscape of intelligent payments and financial infrastructure across the region.

Prince Sehgal's remarkable journey from logistics entrepreneur to fintech innovator reflects a rare combination of discipline, strategic insight, and an unwavering commitment to progress. As global commerce shifted rapidly toward cashless transactions, he recognized an urgent regional need: fast, secure, and merchant-focused payment solutions capable of supporting modern digital economies. Driven by this vision, he founded ePay.me with a clear mission to empower businesses with transparent, seamless, and scalable financial technology

Under his guidance, ePay.me has grown from a promising startup into a next-generation payments leader. The company now operates across diverse verticals, including digital payments, alternative payment methods, merchant infrastructure, and one of its fastest-growing domains: a specialized forex and brokerage payments ecosystem designed to support the expanding world of online trading. This strategic expansion has positioned ePay.me as a vital enabler for businesses navigating cross-border commerce and evolving regulatory environments.

At the heart of the company's success lies Prince Sehgal's leadership philosophy. He champions clarity in decision-making, accountability in execution, and empowerment at every level of the organization. His approach fosters a culture where teams are encouraged to innovate boldly, challenge traditional industry models, and build technology that genuinely serves merchants and consumers.

With resilience, purpose, and a vision grounded in trust, Prince Sehgal continues to redefine the future of financial services in the Middle East. His work goes far beyond building a fintech enterprise he is creating the financial infrastructure that enables businesses to grow, compete, and thrive across borders.

EDITORIAL TEAM

Editor-in-chief

Sco Edward

Sales & Markeng Manager

Lily Hayler

Business Development Manager

Lauren Green, Millie Butler, Rosie Jonas

Business Development Execuve

Victoria Mahews, Ashley Tucker

Art and Design Director

Paul Brown

Research Analyst

Robert Smith

PRINCE SEHGAL

Cover Story

O Contents Articles

Essenal Pracces

Inaregionrapidlytransformingintooneofthe

world'smostprogressivefintechhubs,leadershipis nolongerdefinedbytraditionalbusinessacumen alone.Itdemandsstrategicclarity,resilience,andthe abilitytobuildsystemsthatarebothinnovativeand deeplyreliable.Fewleadersembodythisblendbetter thanPrinceSehgal,theChiefExecutiveOfficerof ePay.me.Hisevolutionfromlogisticsentrepreneurto fintechvisionaryreflectsararemixofoperational discipline,marketforesight,andacommitmentto creatingfinancialtechnologiesthatgenuinelyempower businesses.

Today,astheMiddleEastintensifiesitsshifttoward digital,cashless,andcross-bordercommerce,Prince standsatacriticalintersection.Underhisguidance, ePay.meisexpandingacrossdigitalpayments, alternativepaymentmethods,merchantinfrastructure, anditsnewestfrontierafullforexpaymentsand brokerageecosystemdesignedforaglobaltrading market.Hisstoryillustrateswhatittakestoleadanextgenerationfintechcompanyinoneoftheworld'sfastestmovingregions.

AJourneyBuiltAcrossBordersandIndustries

Prince'scareerbegannotinfintech,butinthedemanding worldoflogisticsandinternationaltrade.Ashescaled companieslikeAGLLogisticsandSwizzLogistics,he masteredoperationalprecision,cross-border coordination,andthedisciplinerequiredtomanage complexworkflows.Theseearlyexperiencesbecamethe foundationofhisleadershipstylestructured,meticulous, andgroundedinproblem-solving.

Hispivottofinancialtechnologycamewhenhe identifiedagrowingmarketgap.E-commercewas expanding,traderswereoperatingglobally,andcrossborderbusinesswasacceleratingyetpaymentsystemsin theregionremainedfragmentedandinefficient. Businesseslackedaunified,intelligentplatformthat couldhandlehigh-volume,multi-markettransactions withspeedandreliability.Thisrealizationledtothe foundingofePay.mein2018,builtonasimplebut

powerfulvision:tocreateafast,transparent,and merchant-centricpaymentecosystemtailoredtothe MiddleEastandAsia.Theyearsthatfollowedbrought severalindustry-definingmilestonesasthecompany maturedintoamulti-verticalfintechforce.

InsideePay.me:APlatformEngineeredforModern Commerce

Unliketraditionalplayersburdenedwithlegacysystems, ePay.mewasbuiltfromthegroundupusingamodular, microservices-basedarchitecture.Thistechnical foundationallowsthecompanytoinnovatequickly, scaleseamlessly,andensureuninterruptedservicea criticalrequirementformerchantsacrosshigh-growth sectors.

Itscoreofferingshaveevolvedintoacomprehensive suiteofsolutions:

• Onlinepaymentgatewayandmerchantacquiring

• Cardpaymentsandanextensivesetofalternative paymentmethods

• Multi-currencyprocessingandcross-border settlements

• Smart-routingtooptimizeapprovalrates

• Real-timedashboards,analytics,andreporting

ButwhattrulysetsePay.meapartintoday'slandscapeis itspowerfulentryintotheforexandbrokeragepayments vertical.Thisspecializedinfrastructuresupportsthefastgrowingonlinetradingecosystem,enablingbrokersto managedeposits,withdrawals,andsettlementsacross regionswithunmatchedspeed.

Theforexsolutionincludes:

• Instantglobaltraderdeposits

• Automatedwithdrawalflowsintegratedwithlocal rails

• MT4/MT5/CRMintegrations

• Multi-currencywalletsandsegregatedaccount structures

• APMcoverageforinternationaltradingmarkets

• High-frequencyriskscoringdesignedforvolatile environments

Withthisexpansion,ePay.mehaspositioneditselfasa criticalinfrastructureproviderinasectorthatdemands security,compliance,andprecision.

TechnologyandInnovation:TheBackboneof Prince'sStrategy

ToPrince,innovationisnotmerelyagoalitisthe operationalcoreofePay.me.Thecompany'stechnology ecosystemincorporatesadvancedcapabilitiessuchas:

• AI-drivenfrauddetectionusingadaptivemachine learning

• Cloud-nativeinfrastructureensuringhigh availability

• Tokenizationandmulti-layerencryptionforsecure handlingofsensitivedata

• Intelligentsmart-routingenginestoincrease transactionapprovalsandreducecosts

• Automatedonboardingsystemsthateliminate merchantfriction

LeadershipRootedinEmpowerment,Clarity& Accountability

Prince'sleadershipphilosophycentersonthree principles:clarity,empowerment,andaccountability.He believesteamsperformbestwhengivendirectionbutnot restricted,responsibilitywithoutmicromanagement,and thefreedomtoinnovatewithoutfearoffailure. Thiscultureopen,ambitious,andbuiltoncollaborative thinkinghasshapedePay.me'sinternalDNA.Employees areencouragedtochallengeassumptions,explorenew ideas,andmaintainacustomer-firstmindset.Under Prince'sguidance,thecompanyhasgrownintoa motivated,resilient,andforward-lookingteamthat thrivesonsolvingcomplexproblems.

NavigatingChallengesinaHigh-StakesIndustry

Fintechisasectorshapedbytrust,regulation,and agility.Princehasfacedandovercomeseveraldefining challengesonhisleadershipjourney.

Initsearlyyears,ePay.mehadtoestablishcredibilityin amarketdominatedbylong-standinginstitutions.

Insteadofrushinggrowth,Princefocusedon:

• Strengtheninggovernance

• Deepeningbankingrelationships

• Prioritizingsystemstability

• Investingintop-tiertalentandtechnology

Thecompany'sexpansionintoforexposedanotherlayer ofcomplexity.Thetradingsectordemandsmassvolumes, strictcompliance,andspecializedtransactionmonitoring. Princenavigatedthisbybuildingdedicatedinfrastructure, enhancingduediligenceframeworks,andaligningwith globalbrokeragestandards.Eachchallengestrengthened thecompany'sfoundationandclarifieditsstrategic direction.

StrategicAlliancesFuelingRegionalExpansion

GrowthatePay.mehasbeenpoweredbypurposeful collaborations.Thecompanyhaspartneredwithacquiring institutions,technologyvendors,globalnetworks,and fintechproviderstoextenditscapabilities.

Theforexexpansionhasinvolveddeepcollaborationwith brokerageCRMs,liquidityproviders,andtrading ecosystempartners.Thesealliancesallowbrokerstooffer seamlessdepositandwithdrawalexperiencesinmultiple regionsanareawhereveryfewfintechshavebeenableto succeed.AsePay.mepreparestoenternewmarkets, strategicpartnershipswillcontinuetoplayacentralrole.

TheFutureofFinancialServicesintheMiddleEast

PrincebelievestheMiddleEastisonthecuspof becomingoneoftheworld'smostadvancedfintech ecosystems.Overthenextfiveyears,heexpects significantaccelerationin:

• Real-timepayments

• OpenbankingandunifiedAPIs

• Embeddedfinanceforsectorslikeretailandecommerce

• Digitalwalletsandsuper-appecosystems

• Tokenizedassetsandsettlements

• AI-drivenfinancialoperations

Theseshiftswillfundamentallyredefinehowmoney movesacrossborders,especiallyintradingandforex.

Fasterwithdrawals,frictionlessonboarding,andintuitivecross-bordersettlementsare alreadyindemandandePay.meispositionedaheadofthecurve.

AdviceforAspiringFintechEntrepreneurs

Prince'sjourneyreinforcesasimpletruth:sustainablefintechinnovationisbuiltontrust, discipline,andconsistency.Hisadvicetoyoungentrepreneursisclear:

• Buildforlong-termimpact,notshort-termhype

• Putcomplianceatthecenterofyouroperations

• Prioritizestabilitybeforescale

• Pairambitionwithresponsibility

Forhim,successbelongstothosewhocaninnovatewithoutcompromisingintegrity

What'sNextforePay.me

Thecompanyisnowenteringanambitiousexpansionphase.Upcominginitiatives include:

• LaunchingoperationsinSaudiArabia,Bahrain,andOman

• Expandingcrypto-to-fiatpaymentcapabilities

• EnhancingAI-poweredmerchantanalytics

Scalingitsforexverticalwith:

• Instantglobaldeposits

• Automatedwithdrawals

• Multi-currencyaccounts

• Localsettlementrails

• DeepCRMandtradingplatformintegrations

• Treasuryandliquidityoptimizationsolutions

Prince'slong-termgoalistotransformePay.meintooneoftheregion'smost comprehensiveandtrustedfinancialinfrastructureproviders.

ALegacyofIntegrity,Innovation,andPurpose

Fromlogisticswarehousestohigh-performancefintechinfrastructure,hisstoryisa powerfulreminderthatleadershipisbuiltonconsistency,clarity,andtrust.Today,as ePay.mesupportsmerchantsandbrokersacrosscontinents,Princeremainscommittedto themissionthatbeganitalltoenablegrowth,empowerentrepreneurship,andshapethe financialfutureoftheMiddleEast.

Throughpurpose-drivenleadershipandrelentlessinnovation,PrinceSehgalhas redefinedwhatitmeanstobuildfintechforthenextera:intelligent,transparent,and builttoempower

TheroleoftheChiefFinancialOfficer(CFO)has undergonesignificanttransformationssincethedayswhen itconsistedsolelyofaccountingandreporting. TheChief FinancialOfficersoftodayarestrategicleadersthatassist businessesincopingwitheconomicuncertainty,changesin theirindustries,andsignificantgrowthopportunities. For themtobesuccessful,theyneedtobeexpertsinboth managingmoneyandcommunicatingwithothers. A strategicchieffinancialofficer(CFO)leadershipis comprisedoffivecriticalcomponents.

Haveamentalitythatisfocusedonthefuture

Inadditiontolookingatthepast,astrategicchieffinancial officer(CFO)alsoconsidersthefutureandmakesplansfor avarietyofpotentialoutcomes. Byutilisingadvanced analytics,forecastingtools,andmarketintelligence,they

ssentialPracticesforStrategicCFOLeadership

aidfirmsinpreparingforchanges,adjustingquickly,and seizingopportunitiesbeforetheircompetitorsdoso. For ensuringthatfinancialplansareinaccordancewithlongtermobjectivesratherthanonlyshort-termperformance measures,thisforward-lookingmethodisutilised.

Encouragecollaborativeeffortsamongstdifferent departments

Thegreatestchieffinancialofficerscollaboratecloselywith otherleaders,suchaschiefexecutiveofficers,chief operatingofficers,chiefmarketingofficers,anddepartment heads,toensurethatthecompany’sfinancialgoalsarein accordancewiththewaythingsreallyoperate. Theymake surethateverybusinessunitisawareofthefinancial repercussionsofthedecisionsitmakesbyencouraging opencommunicationandtearingdownanysilosthatmay impedecommunication. Asaresultofthiscollaboration, theorganisationisbetterpreparedtocarryoutplansthat interactwithoneanotherandtoreactrapidlytochallenging situations.

Encouragetheadoptionofdigitaltechnologyinthe financialsector

Theuseofautomation,artificialintelligence,andcloudbasedfinancialsystemsissomethingthatstrategicchief financialofficersadvocatefortoexpeditedecision-making, simplifyprocesses,andimprovetheaccuracyofdata. Theyimplementamorecontemporaryapproachtothe financialfunction,whichfreesupresourcesforstrategic projectswhilealsoensuringthateverythingisopenandin compliancewiththelaw. Additionally,digital transformationprovidesexecutiveswithinformationinreal time,whichenablesthemtomakedecisionsmorequickly andbasedonreal-worldevidence.

Putyourselfatthetopofyourlistintermsofrisk managementandresilience

Inaneconomythatisdifficulttopredictonaglobalscale, strategicchieffinancialofficersmakecertainthatrisk managementisincorporatedintoeachaspectoffinancial planning. Bydiversifyingtheirsourcesofrevenue, businessessafeguardtheircashflowandprepareforwhat theywilldoiftheeconomyexperiencesadownturnorthe marketexperiencesashock. Theysupportthe organization’slong-termstabilitybyadoptingmeasuresto copewithpotentialrisksinadvance,suchasalterationsin rules,issuesinthesupplychain,orcyberassaults.These areallexamplesofpotentialhazards.

TaketheRearwithStrategicPower

Whenitcomestostrategicleadership,chieffinancial officersthatareskilledinthisareadomorethanjustkeep trackofstatistics;theyalsodeveloptrust,communicatea compellingvision,andinfluencestakeholdersatalllevels. Theycantransformcomplexfinancialinformationinto valuablefirminsightsthatassistboardsofdirectors, investors,andemployeesinmakingintelligentdecisions. Becauseoftheirreliabilityasbothfinancialmanagersand strategicpartners,theyaresignificantcontributorstothe developmentofthecompany’sfutureplanning.

Inanutshell,themodernchieffinancialofficerisnotonly accountableforthebalancesheet,buttheyarealso accountablefortheprocessofgrowthandthegenerationof newideas. Becausethecorporateworldisconstantly changing,chieffinancialofficers(CFOs)canleadtheir firmsintheproperdirectionbyfollowingthesefivesteps. Thiswillensurethattheirorganisationsarerobust, profitable,andsuccessfuloverthelongrun.

How AI

Thebankingsectorhasexperiencedsignificantchangesinrecent

years,largelyduetotheswiftprogressinartificialintelligence(AI). AIisfundamentallyalteringtheoperationsoffinancialinstitutions byofferingmoreintelligentsolutionsthatboostefficiency,enhance customerexperiences,andrefinedecision-makingprocesses.Thisdigital transformationisredefiningvariousaspects,fromeverydaytaskstointricate financialservices,resultinginamoreagile,responsive,andcustomerfocusedbankingenvironment.

Oneofthekeyadvancementsbroughtbyartificialintelligenceinthe bankingsectorisautomation.Conventionalbankingactivities,including transactionprocessing,identityverification,andcustomersupport,typically demandconsiderablemanualintervention.AI-drivensolutionscan streamlinetheseoperations,minimizinghumanerrorandexpediting workflows.Forinstance,AIchatbotshavebecomeprevalentincustomer service,allowingfinancialinstitutionstoofferround-the-clockassistance. Thesechatbotsarecapableofaddressingvariousinquiries,suchaschecking accountbalancesandaidinginloanapplications,therebyenablinghuman representativestoconcentrateonmoreintricateissues.

AIisrevolutionizingthemethodsbywhichbanksevaluateriskand determinelendingdecisions.Historically,bankshavedependedonfixed creditscorestoassessloanapplicants.Incontrast,AItechnologiescan processextensivedatafromdiversesources,includingtransactionrecords, socialmediainteractions,andmarketdynamics,todeliveramore comprehensiveandpreciseunderstandingofaborrower’sfinancialstatus. Thiscapabilityenablesbankstocreatetailoredloanofferingsandmake better-informedlendingchoices,therebyminimizingthelikelihoodof defaultsandenhancingcreditaccessibilityformarginalizedgroups.

AIisalsosignificantlyimpactingthefieldsoffrauddetectionand cybersecurity.ThroughtheuseofAIalgorithms,itispossibletomonitor transactionscontinuouslyforanyirregularpatternsandtoidentifypotential fraudulentactivitiesinreal-time.Byexamininghistoricaldataandlearning frompreviousoccurrences,AIsystemsenhancetheirabilitytodetectand preventfraud,therebyincreasingthesecurityofbankingforbothfinancial institutionsandtheirclients.

Furthermore,artificialintelligenceisempoweringfinancialinstitutionsto providepersonalizedservices.Byutilizingmachinelearningalgorithms, banksareabletoassesscustomerbehaviorandpreferences,allowingthem topresentcustomizedproducts,includingpersonalizedinvestmentadvice andsavingsstrategies.TheseinsightsdrivenbyAIimprovecustomer satisfaction,resultinginamorecohesiveandpertinentbankingexperience.

Insummary,artificialintelligenceistransformingthebankingsectorby improvingoperationalefficiency,bolsteringsecuritymeasures,and facilitatingmoretailoredfinancialservices.Asthistechnologyadvances,it isanticipatedtofurtherreshapetheindustry,providingmoreintelligent solutionsforbanksandtheirclientele.