Mikhail Strunkin
Global Physical Access Partnerships Lead, Google Wallet
Mikhail Strunkin is an accomplished payments industry executive with over 15 years of experience driving strategic partnerships and leading high-impact initiatives. As the Global Physical Access Partnerships Lead for Google Wallet, he is responsible for expanding the company's physical access solutions and forging key collaborations to enhance the overall user experience.
Professional Overview
Mikhail is a seasoned leader with deep expertise in the payments, loyalty, and fintech sectors. He specializes in building and managing complex partnerships, driving product innovation, and delivering measurable business results. In his current role, Mikhail oversees the global strategy and implementation of Google Wallet's physical access solutions, working closely with financial institutions, merchants, and technology providers to enable seamless in-store transactions.
Experience Summary
Current Role
As the Global Physical Access Partnerships Lead at Google, Mikhail is responsible for developing and executing the company's strategy for physical access integrations within the Google Wallet ecosystem. He leads cross-functional teams to identify, evaluate, and onboard strategic partners, ensuring the delivery of innovative payment solutions that meet the evolving needs of consumers and merchants worldwide. Under Mikhail's leadership, Google Wallet has expanded its physical access footprint, driving increased user adoption and transaction volumes.
Career Progression
Prior to his current role, Mikhail served as the EMEA Physical Access Partnerships Lead and the EMEA Strategic Partner Development Manager for Google's digital payments platform, GPay. In these positions, he played a pivotal role in shaping the company's regional partnerships and go-to-market strategies, contributing to the growth and adoption of Google's payment solutions across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Before joining Google, Mikhail held senior leadership roles at Visa, where he led the company's loyalty solutions and partner development initiatives in South Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the CIS region. He also gained valuable experience as a consultant at Arthur Hunt and in various positions at BPI group | LHH, a global talent management firm.
Academic Background
Mikhail holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Cambridge, where he specialized in international business strategy and finance. He also earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Kiev, graduating with distinction.
Areas of Expertise
- Strategic partnership development and management
- Payments and fintech industry expertise
- Digital product innovation and go-to-market strategies
- Cross-functional team leadership and collaboration
- Business development and revenue growth
Professional Impact
During his tenure at Google, Mikhail has played a crucial role in expanding the company's physical access partnerships, enabling seamless in-store experiences for Google Wallet users. Under his leadership, the team has onboarded several high-profile partners, driving a significant increase in transaction volume and user adoption.
At Visa, Mikhail spearheaded the development and implementation of innovative loyalty programs and digital payment solutions, which contributed to the company's growth and market share in the South Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and CIS regions.
Conclusion
Mikhail Strunkin is a seasoned payments industry executive with a proven track record of driving strategic partnerships, delivering innovative solutions, and achieving measurable business results. In his current role as the Global Physical Access Partnerships Lead at Google Wallet, he is poised to further expand the company's footprint and enhance the overall user experience through cutting-edge payment technologies and strategic collaborations.
