Planet Appoints Eric Heurtaux as CEO

Planet, a global provider of integrated payments and technology solutions for retail and hospitality customers, today announced the appointment of Eric Heurtaux as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective from 1st January 2025.

Heurtaux’s appointment reflects the leadership role he has taken with the Planet management team and the Board of Directors to shape Planet’s strategy, strengthen operations and deliver profitable growth.

Planet combines payments, software and technology to help its hospitality and retail customers deliver exceptional experiences to meet evolving market demands. Planet’s omnichannel solutions enable customers to integrate fragmented software and payment systems to delight consumers.

Planet technology solutions allow retailers to deliver unified and frictionless shopper journeys across all channels through a single end-to-end platform, with integrated online and in-store payments. For hoteliers, Planet deeply embeds payments within the automated workflows of its Property Management System (PMS) products to deliver operational efficiencies and a superior guest experience. In addition, Planet provides sophisticated value-added solutions that generate revenue for its customers, including VAT refunding, multi-currency processing, and payments services for global financial institutions.

Eric Heurtaux, Chief Executive Officer at Planet said: “I’m honoured to have the opportunity to lead this exceptional business and highly talented team. Our integrated payments and technology strategy for hospitality and retail customers will not change. We will continue to invest in and focus on helping our customers grow with our unique solutions and outstanding service.”

Commenting on Eric Heurtaux’s appointment, Fabio Cali, Managing Director at Advent International, said: “Since joining Planet in 2023, Eric has been integral in strengthening and developing the business. He brings significant experience in technology, payments and software. Under his leadership, alongside a strong team, Planet is well placed to accelerate growth and position itself as a long-term winner in integrated payments.”

Edouard Guigou, Managing Director at Eurazeo, said: “Planet is successfully developing into a global leader in integrated payments. As payments and software continue to converge, we see enormous opportunities for future growth driven by increasing consumer demand for a seamless experience. Together with Advent, we are excited to help Planet realise its full potential and accelerate its vision under Eric’s leadership.”

Heurtaux joined Planet in October 2023 as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), bringing with him significant leadership experience in scaling fast-growing payments, software and technology businesses. Prior to joining Planet, Eric was CFO at Mirakl, a leading cloud-based e-commerce marketplace software provider. Before that, he served as CFO at payment processor Worldline and before that as CFO for Atos Big Data & Security. Eric is a graduate of the Ecole des Mines de Paris and holds a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD.

About Planet 

Planet is a revenue-generating payments service and technology provider. Planet helps businesses meet the needs of their customers by simplifying complex payments, helping people spend freely. Planet serves 550,000 merchants and 100 partner banks across more than 60 markets on five continents, Planet provides a single payments platform that offers acquiring, VAT Refund and Currency Conversion services. Planet is part of the Eurazeo portfolio of growth companies.
Find out more here: www.PlanetPayment.com

About Advent International

Founded in 1984, Advent International is one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors. The firm has invested in 421 private equity investments across 43 countries and, as of March 31, 2024, had $90 billion in assets under management*. With 15 offices in 12 countries, Advent has established a globally integrated team of over 315 private equity investment professionals across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The firm focuses on investments in five core sectors, including business and financial services; health care; industrial; retail, consumer, and leisure; and technology. For 40 years, Advent has been dedicated to international investing and remains committed to partnering with management teams to deliver sustained revenue and earnings growth for its portfolio companies.

For more information, visit:
Website: www.adventinternational.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/advent-international
* Assets under management include assets attributable to Advent advisory clients as well as employee and third-party co-investment vehicles.

About Eurazeo

Eurazeo is a leading European investment group with €35.4bn in diversified assets under management, including €25bn on behalf of institutional and private clients through its private equity, private debt, real estate and infrastructure strategies. The Group supports more than 600 mid-market companies, leveraging the commitment of its 400 employees, its sector expertise, its privileged access to global markets via 13 offices in Europe, Asia and the United States, and its responsible approach to value creation based on growth. The company's institutional and family shareholding structure, and its solid financial structure, ensure its long-term viability.

For more information, visit:
Website: www.eurazeo.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/eurazeo