Pioneering the future of digital payments: inside Worldline, HEC Paris and HEC Foundation' innovative partnership.

28 / 04 / 2025

Discover how Worldline and HEC Paris are revolutionising payment education through 'The Future of Money' certificate programme, preparing tomorrow's fintech leaders for digital payment innovation.

6 min.

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Table of Contents

As the digital payments landscape evolves at unprecedented speed, Worldline and top-ranked business school HEC Paris joined forces to create 'The Future of Money' Chair. With the second edition launching April 22, 2025, this strategic partnership is building the next generation of payment innovation experts. We interviewed Maëlle Lafont de Sentenac, Head of Strategy and Global Alliances at Worldline, about this groundbreaking initiative transforming payment education in Europe.

Strategic vision for payment innovation

Q: The Worldline-HEC Chair “The Future of Money and Payments ” is entering its second edition with a kick-off on April 22. What was the strategic vision behind creating this partnership?**

M: Our primary vision was to highlight the payment industry, which often remains invisible compared to more prominent financial sectors.

The Chair leads to the creation of a unique teaching certificate in the payments industry, "The Future of Money and Payments", in France and across Europe , which will be offered to final year Masters, MBA and Executive MBA students, who will drive digital transformation in financial services. Worldline understands visibility's crucial role in attracting top talent. In just two years on campus, HEC students now immediately recognise Worldline, resulting in more high-quality applications.

This strategic partnership perfectly aligns with Worldline's innovation mission to lead payment technology advancement in Europe. 

Academic-industry collaboration 

Q: How does the curriculum address the evolving needs of the payments industry, and what role did Worldline play in shaping it?

M: The intensive five-week certificate programme totals 100 hours of specialised instruction covering both payment fundamentals and cutting-edge fintech topics. We've designed specialised modules focusing on innovation—AI applications, data analytics,, blockchain and cryptocurrencies , digital wallets, and fraud prevention systems.

The partnership extends beyond classroom learning to include pioneering academic research, with Worldline funding studies on artificial intelligence applications in payment 

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While HEC Paris maintains academic oversight, Worldline significantly influences content development through collaborative module design. Their academic team welcomes our industry expertise, resulting in a programme that combines theoretical foundations with practical applications through various formats including masterclasses, expert panels, and case studies.

What truly distinguishes this programme is its industry diversity. Approximately 30 payment industry partners participate alongside 20 Worldline specialists, giving students unprecedented access to stakeholders across the entire payment value chain—from merchants and fintechs to payment schemes and digital wallet providers.

Demystifying complex payment systems 

Q: Many professionals find payments confusing. How does this programme address this knowledge gap?

M: When we talk about payments, many terms seem unnecessarily complicated. The entire industry presents itself as a 'black box' to outsiders. Four-party schemes, acceptance, acquiring , blockchains, payment rails—these terms mean absolutely nothing to newcomers.

This communication barrier creates significant challenges for both talent recruitment and professional development. Our programme methodically unpacks these concepts, providing students with the vocabulary and frameworks needed to understand payment systems holistically.

Generally, when joining a company like Worldline, it typically takes several months to grasp the full landscape of payment systems. This programme significantly accelerates that learning curve, enabling immediate understanding of industry challenges and familiarising students with specialised terminology—creating a competitive advantage for both graduates and employers.

Developing tomorrow's payment expertise 

Q: Which specific skills or knowledge areas is Worldline most eager to develop in tomorrow's payment experts?

M: Rather than producing narrow specialists, our programme provides comprehensive exposure to interconnected payment technologies. While graduates won't become certified crypto specialists immediately, they'll understand the strategic implications of these technologies for their future careers.

Worldline particularly values developing expertise across several emerging specialties:

  • Customer journey optimisation
  • Data management and monetisation
  • Fraud detection and prevention
  • Regulatory affairs and advocacy

Students spend three days in Brussels focusing on European payment regulation, advocacy, and policy development. Data management represents another critical area, with specialised courses on how businesses can leverage payment insights to enhance customer experiences.

From classroom to career: success stories

Q: And last, but not least, one of last year's certificate students has now joined Worldline. What made this graduate particularly valuable?

M: The programme has already proven successful as a talent pipeline. While one graduate has transitioned to a full-time position within the Business Intelligence department,  others have joined as interns and apprentices.

Ying  distinguished herself through exceptional engagement and visibility during the programme. Her genuine interest in payment innovation during case studies and initiative to maintain mentor relationships ultimately led to her employment offer. She particularly impressed the evaluation jury during her final presentation, clearly demonstrating her analytical capabilities.

This success highlights how the student-instructor relationship becomes pivotal for career advancement. The programme's structure—featuring group projects and jury presentations—provides opportunities for students to showcase their talents directly to industry professionals.

The geopolitical dimension of payments

Q: How does the programme address the increasing geopolitical dimensions of payment systems globally?

M: The geopolitical landscape of payments has become increasingly complex, with sovereignty concerns, regional competition, and regulatory fragmentation shaping industry development. These critical dimensions are integrated throughout our curriculum.

Geopolitical questions naturally emerge in our discussions, especially regarding topics like stablecoins. Questions such as 'why do we have so few stablecoins in Europe compared to the United States?' appear quickly in course preparation. Similarly, when engaging with merchants, we explore the strategic implications of domestic payment networks versus international networks.

Sovereignty discussions feature prominently in Brussels sessions with specialists addressing the European digital euro, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and European payment independence. We carefully balance perspectives from both international and European payment schemes to present students with the full complexity of these strategic considerations.

For future editions, we're considering adding a dedicated geopolitical session as these dynamics continue to influence payment evolution globally. Our speakers already include experts presenting African payment ecosystems and specialists from Alipay educating students about Asian payment innovations, helping students understand regional differences while maintaining our European vision.

Future evolution of the partnership

The programme's value extends beyond corporate settings to entrepreneurial applications. Whether you're a banking professional managing treasury operations, an entrepreneur launching a business requiring payment processing, or simply a consumer wanting to understand digital transaction security—payments are universal. Few people truly comprehend what happens behind payment terminals, including sovereignty concerns and data protection issues.

In response to evolving market demands, the curriculum continuously adapts. We balance presentations between international payment schemes, European initiatives, and local merchant perspectives to provide a comprehensive view of this dynamic industry.

Next Steps for aspiring payment professionals 

The 'Future of Money' certificate represents more than academic training—it's your gateway to shaping tomorrow's payment industry. Whether you're interested in fintech innovation, payment security, or digital transformation, this programme provides unparalleled access to industry leaders and cutting-edge knowledge.

Interested in becoming part of the next generation of payment experts? Here's how to take action:

Learn about Worldline: Discover career opportunities at Worldline's career portal.

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