Advisory Board Council

Don Russell is a seasoned executive and respected leader in the electronic payments and financial technology industry, bringing more than 25 years of experience driving revenue growth, building high-performing teams, and advising organizations on scaling merchant services programs.

Throughout his career, Don has held leadership roles at some of the most prominent organizations in the payments ecosystem, including Elavon, Bank of America Merchant Services, and FIS, where he led strategy, sales development, and enterprise client engagement across complex market segments. His expertise spans the full lifecycle of payment platforms, from market analysis and channel acceleration to partnership development and operational execution.

Known for his strategic vision and deep industry insight, Don has partnered with financial institutions, ISOs, and technology vendors to build differentiated solutions and drive sustainable growth. He has a track record of cultivating strong executive relationships, mentoring emerging leaders, and helping companies navigate the ever-evolving payments landscape.

As an Advisory Board Member of Merchant People LLC (DBA: Merchant Service Company), Don brings invaluable knowledge on scaling business operations, go-to-market strategy, and organizational leadership to support our mission of empowering merchants, partners, and professionals in the payments sector.

Leo Arcos brings a unique blend of banking, merchant services, and compliance expertise to the Merchant People Advisory Board. He began his financial services career as a Business Banker with Bank of America, where he developed a strong foundation in commercial banking, risk evaluation, and relationship management for small and mid-sized businesses.

Recognizing the growing importance of payments within the broader financial ecosystem, Leo transitioned into merchant services, where he built his career at the intersection of banking operations and compliance enforcement. Over the years, he has become known for his disciplined approach to regulatory oversight, underwriting integrity, and risk mitigation—areas that are critical to sustainable growth in today's evolving payments landscape.

Leo's expertise spans bank partnership alignment, merchant onboarding controls, compliance enforcement protocols, and operational governance. His perspective ensures that growth strategies are not only scalable but structured within a framework of transparency, accountability, and regulatory soundness.

At Merchant People, Leo plays a key advisory role in strengthening the foundation of our banking relationships, merchant risk frameworks, and compliance strategy—helping ensure that operational excellence and enforcement discipline remain central to long-term success.

Pranav Patel is a seasoned hospitality and restaurant brand strategist with extensive experience building and elevating foodservice concepts. With a strong foundation in understanding guest preferences, operational efficiency, and front-of-house technologies, Pranav brings invaluable insight into how restaurant operators select and leverage point-of-sale systems to drive performance and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Pranav began his career in the restaurant and hospitality industry, developing firsthand expertise in managing guest service operations, optimizing brand positioning, and scaling concepts in highly competitive markets. His deep understanding of how restaurants function—from back-of-house workflows to guest engagement—uniquely positions him to advise on innovative POS solutions that align with the real-world challenges operators face daily.

Throughout his career, Pranav has worked closely with restaurant owners, chefs, and managers to identify best-in-class technology partners, streamline payment workflows, and integrate tools that support loyalty, data insights, and operational resilience. His practical perspective on technology adoption helps bridge the gap between emerging commerce platforms and the nuanced needs of the hospitality sector.

At Merchant People, Pranav serves on the Advisory Board with a focus on shaping our approach to point-of-sale system strategy for restaurant clients, ensuring that our solutions are not only technologically robust but also tailored to enhance profitability, efficiency, and guest satisfaction.

Joe Princiotta is a veteran entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience building and scaling businesses across diverse industries. Known for his strategic vision, operational leadership, and deep understanding of market dynamics, Joe has spent decades launching ventures, driving growth initiatives, and navigating the complexities of competitive commerce landscapes.

In recent years, Joe has turned his attention to the payments industry, founding and leading a high-risk merchant services business that serves a critical segment of the market often underserved by traditional processors. His focus on high-risk merchant relationships, compliance sensitivity, and tailored service models positions him as a respected operator who understands both the opportunities and challenges inherent in supporting merchants with complex underwriting and risk profiles.

Joe's entrepreneurial insight, coupled with his practical experience in structuring scalable service offerings, provides valuable perspective on product strategy, partner engagement, and risk management. He brings a pragmatic lens to technology adoption, client experience optimization, and business model innovation—helping Merchant People strengthen its value proposition for merchants, partners, and service providers alike.

As an Advisory Board Member, Joe plays a key role in shaping strategic initiatives that support sustainable growth, operational excellence, and differentiated market positioning across the payments ecosystem.

Tony Kingstone plays a pivotal role in shaping Merchant People's European expansion strategy. With extensive experience navigating international markets, Tony brings a deep understanding of cross-border commerce, regional regulatory frameworks, and the operational nuances required to successfully scale payments businesses across Europe.

Tony has been instrumental in advising on market entry strategy, partnership development, and infrastructure alignment throughout key European territories. His insight into regional banking relationships, compliance standards, and localized merchant expectations ensures that growth initiatives are both strategically sound and operationally executable.

Known for his disciplined, market-driven approach, Tony focuses on building sustainable expansion models—prioritizing regulatory integrity, strong partner ecosystems, and long-term merchant value. His guidance helps Merchant People adapt its platform and service delivery to meet the distinct demands of European markets while maintaining the company's core commitment to transparency and performance.

As an Advisory Board Member, Tony provides strategic oversight on international growth initiatives, helping position Merchant People as a scalable and globally competitive payments organization.

Amanda Carr has played a strategic role in the rapid launch and early acceleration of Merchant People through the acquisition and integration of active merchant portfolios. Her guidance and execution in structuring portfolio acquisitions enabled the company to establish immediate recurring revenue and operational momentum from day one.

With a strong background in venture capital and growth-stage advisory, Amanda brings a disciplined investment mindset to Merchant People's expansion strategy. Her experience in capital structuring, valuation analysis, and strategic scaling initiatives provides a framework for making data-driven acquisition decisions while preserving long-term enterprise value.

Amanda's expertise extends beyond transactional execution. She offers insight into capital deployment strategy, risk-adjusted growth modeling, and portfolio optimization—ensuring that expansion efforts are both opportunistic and strategically aligned. Her understanding of investor expectations and scalable infrastructure supports Merchant People's ability to grow responsibly while strengthening its recurring revenue base.

As an Advisory Board Member, Amanda provides oversight on acquisition strategy, capital efficiency, and long-term expansion planning—helping position Merchant People for sustained growth within the evolving payments and fintech landscape.

Mary Ann Hotaling brings more than 20 years of experience as an educator and mentor dedicated to developing the next generation of professionals. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with high school and college students, guiding them in identifying their strengths, clarifying their goals, and building intentional career paths rooted in purpose and performance.

Today, Mary Ann leads a highly successful consulting practice focused on helping talented young individuals navigate academic, professional, and personal development decisions with confidence and clarity. Her work centers on structured mentorship, leadership readiness, and long-term career positioning—empowering emerging professionals to enter the workforce equipped with both skill and direction.

At Merchant People, Mary Ann's expertise serves as a foundational pillar in the development of first-class professionals. Her insight helps shape recruitment standards, training frameworks, and mentorship models designed to elevate talent beyond transactional sales roles into disciplined, career-driven leaders within the payments industry.

As an Advisory Board Member, Mary Ann provides strategic guidance on talent development, leadership cultivation, and professional excellence—ensuring that Merchant People's growth is built on strong character, structured mentorship, and a culture of continuous development.

Bryan Fricke is a seasoned payments industry executive with nearly three decades of experience building and leading high-performing sales organizations across the financial services and merchant acquiring ecosystem.

Bryan previously served as Chief Revenue Officer at Talus Pay, where he led the company's go-to-market strategy across sales, marketing, product, and customer success organizations. In this role, he was responsible for driving revenue growth and aligning the company's sales channels to accelerate expansion within the merchant services market.

Prior to Talus, Bryan spent more than seven years with JPMorgan Chase, where he held executive roles focused on relationship management and sales operations within the bank's payments and merchant services division.

Earlier in his career, Bryan spent 18 years with First Data (now part of Fiserv), holding various leadership roles in sales, sales training, tele-sales, and account management. During this time, he developed deep expertise in merchant acquiring, partner channels, and building scalable revenue organizations within the payments industry.

As a member of the Merchant People Advisory Board, Bryan provides strategic insight on sales leadership, payments industry growth strategies, and building high-performance revenue teams. His extensive experience across processors, banks, and fintech platforms offers valuable perspective as Merchant People expands its footprint within the merchant services ecosystem.

David Wulffen is a seasoned fintech and payments executive with extensive experience across merchant acquiring, financial institutions, and payment technology platforms. Throughout his career, David has held leadership roles focused on go-to-market strategy, revenue growth, and developing scalable payment solutions for businesses across multiple industries including ISV.

David currently serves in a leadership role focused on fintech sales and go-to-market strategy at Tekmetric, where he works with organizations to streamline payment operations, accelerate funding, and integrate modern payment technologies into business platforms.

Prior to his work in fintech, David built deep expertise in the merchant services and banking ecosystem through roles with organizations such as JPMorgan Chase, First Data (now part of Fiserv) and Bank of America Merchant Service. Across these organizations, he worked closely with sales organizations, financial institutions, and payment partners to help businesses implement efficient payment strategies and expand their revenue capabilities.

David brings valuable perspective on payments innovation, fintech partnerships, and revenue strategy. His experience across processors, banks, and technology platforms provides Merchant People with insight into the evolving payments landscape and how to build scalable, high-performance revenue organizations.

As a member of the Merchant People Advisory Board, David provides strategic guidance on payments technology, sales growth strategies, and fintech partnerships as the company continues to expand within the merchant services ecosystem.