Visa Inc. plans to cut approximately 2,600 jobs as CEO Ryan McInerney seeks to increase the firm's efficiency amid growing competition in the payments sector.
Reasons and Scale of Reductions
The cuts account for roughly 7% of the total workforce and, according to McInerney's statement in a memo on Tuesday, will primarily affect technology and product teams. McInerney emphasized that the company is focusing on improving overall efficiency to subsequently reinvest funds into the most promising areas.
Company Development Strategy
In the memo, he wrote that to capture future opportunities and ensure leadership in transformation, it is necessary to continue developing working methods, noting that artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating this evolution and shaping work processes at Visa. Although AI is used to reduce routine work and speed up product development, it is not the only factor influencing the company's decision.
Investment Areas and Financial Position
Visa intends to direct investments toward consumer payment solutions, commercial operations, and money transfer services. Among these value-added services are stablecoins, cross-border, and B2B offerings. McInerney stated that the company is entering a new era of commerce due to strong financial results, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and innovation.
Market Context
At the end of the last fiscal year, Visa had approximately 34,100 employees, more than triple the figure from ten years ago. It should be noted that many of Visa's fintech competitors, such as PayPal Holdings Inc. and Block Inc., have announced even deeper staff reductions in recent months. On Tuesday morning during pre-market trading, Visa shares rose by 2.1%, reaching $370, while over the entire year they increased by 3.4% as of Monday.


