[Payments Unleashed] Video interview with Thomas Warsop, CEO of ACI Worldwide

 

Thomas Warsop, CEO of ACI Worldwide, shares insights into the company’s 50-year journey from a bold startup to a global payments powerhouse shaping the future of digital transactions.

 

On October 7, 2025, ACI Worldwide celebrated 50 years of powering the global payments ecosystem. (More details on this impressive achievement here)

To mark this milestone, on October 22–23, ACI hosted Payments Unleashed, bringing together leaders, innovators, and visionaries to explore the future of payments. The event highlighted the convergence of technology, regulation, and customer expectations, while showcasing ACI’s new platform, ACI Connetic, a cloud-native payments platform designed to unify account-to-account and card-based payments into a single, scalable system. Discussions ranged from what CEOs must do today to lead the industry in 2030 and beyond, to the role of stablecoins, tokenized assets, AI-driven fraud prevention, and evolving regulation. The summit underscored ACI’s leadership in shaping a secure, innovative, and digital-first payments world.

The Paypers was thrilled to be part of the summit, engaging in discussions with leading experts and thought leaders shaping the future of the industry.

In this exclusive video interview from Payments Unleashed, Thomas Warsop, CEO at ACI Worldwide, shared with The Paypers insights into the company’s remarkable 50-year journey in the payments industry and unveiled their latest technological milestone. From humble beginnings with “a big idea and very little money,” ACI has grown into a global payments powerhouse, demonstrating how customer-focused innovation and continuous adaptation drive long-term success.

Thomas reflected on ACI’s origins, when a small, visionary team set out to revolutionise money movement–making payments seamless, cost-effective, high-throughput, and extraordinarily reliable. Over five decades, that vision has become reality, positioning ACI as a critical infrastructure provider powering the world’s payments ecosystem. As Thomas emphasised, ACI’s success lies in its ability to evolve continuously while keeping customer value at the heart of every decision.

What truly sets ACI apart in its 50-year journey is not just its longevity but its capacity to adapt to changing market demands. As Thomas noted, ACI has “worked ourselves into a position where we're leveraging that great position we have in the market.” This didn’t happen overnight; it’s the result of decades of deliberate evolution and constant refinement.

The payments landscape has transformed dramatically over the past half-century, from the rise of electronic banking to digital wallets and real-time payments. Through every shift, ACI has remained relevant by staying true to its core mission while embracing innovation.

A defining milestone in that journey is the launch of ACI Connetic, the company’s next-generation platform. More than a product release, it represents ACI’s ongoing commitment to cutting-edge payments technology and its ability to deliver innovative solutions that meet evolving customer needs.

ACI’s story exemplifies the power of vision-driven growth, continuous innovation, and strategic market positioning. By relentlessly focusing on customer value and embracing technological change, ACI has not only thrived in a fast-moving industry but continues to shape the future of payments. The launch of ACI Connetic marks a new chapter–proof that even after 50 years, ACI remains dedicated to pushing boundaries and delivering next-generation solutions.

About Thomas Warsop

Tom Warsop is ACI's President and Chief Executive Officer. Warsop joined the ACI Board of Directors in June 2015 and became non-executive Chairman in June 2022. He has led various portfolio companies for several leading private equity firms since 2012, including One Call Care Management, York Risk Services Group, and The Warranty Group. He served as Group President at Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a provider of technology solutions to the financial industry, from 2007 to 2012. He served in various capacities at Electronic Data Systems for 17 years, including President of its Business Process Outsourcing unit in Asia Pacific, Vice President in the United Kingdom, and Vice President of Global Financial Services. He currently serves on the Board of One Call Care Management.

About ACI Worldwide

 

ACI Worldwide, an original innovator in global payments technology, delivers transformative software solutions that power intelligent payments orchestration in real-time so banks, billers, and merchants can drive growth, while continuously modernising their payment infrastructures, simply and securely. With 50 years of trusted payments expertise, we combine our global footprint with a local presence to offer enhanced payment experiences to stay ahead of constantly changing payment challenges and opportunities.