Reward Gateway | Edenred Appoints UK Managing Director

Joe Walsh has been appointed Reward Gateway | Edenred’s Managing Director of its UK business, as the company looks to accelerate its growth. 

Formerly the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, the company says Joe’s appointment reflects a “refreshed” approach to its leadership, which sits as part of its long-term succession planning for its UK business.

“Taking on the role of Managing Director is an exciting next step in my career, and I’m thrilled to be part of an organisation that combines transformation and innovation while taking a people-first approach,” Joe says.

“Culture, creativity and employee experience have always been central to my leadership style, and and I look forward to playing a role in Reward Gateway | Edenred’s continued journey to success within the UK.”

Leading organisational transformation

In his current role as Chief Commercial Officer of Reward Gateway | Edenred, Joe has led the company’s commercial transformation and helped reshape its organisational structure to support growth. 

With a focus on building what he describes as a “high-performance commercial engine,” Joe has aligned teams, partnerships and operating models to drive platform and SaaS-enabled growth across the company. 

His experience at the forefront of consumer technology and user experience, the company says, has given him “deep insight” into how customer expectations are evolving, and the ways technology can create a more connected and engaging workplace for employees.

Before joining Reward Gateway | Edenred, Joe spent more than five years with Samsung as its Director of B2B. In this role, he led the turnaround and transformation of Samsung’s UK & Ireland B2B division – rebuilding commercial strategy, partner ecosystem and operating model to restore growth and market relevance.

In this role, he also designed and executed a new go-to-market strategy, which helped shift the business towards a platform-led, partner-driven model. 

“Joe’s experience, leadership and proven track record made him the standout candidate to lead Reward Gateway | Edenred’s UK business,” says Nick Burns, Senior Advisor at Reward Gateway | Edenred.

“With over 25 years’ experience driving commercial growth and transformation, he brings the ambition, energy and strategic focus needed to strengthen our proposition and support our continued expansion.

“His blend of commercial and technology expertise will be invaluable as the employee engagement landscape continues to evolve, and his passion for employee experience and culture aligns perfectly with our long-term vision for the UK business.” 

Shaping the direction of Reward Gateway | Edenred

According to the company, Joe’s background will help shape the future direction of Reward Gateway | Edenred’s UK business, as the company looks to continue supporting organisations to reduce employee turnover, boost productivity and enhance employees’ spending power.

“Technology is continuing to reshape the future of employee engagement,” says Joe. “I’m excited by the opportunity to help organisations create more connected, rewarding and meaningful workplace experiences.”

His appointment coincides with the appointment of Thierry Aflalo, who has been named Managing Director of Edenred’s Global Engagement business to support the company’s global scaling ambition. 

“Employee engagement has never been more critical to organisational success,” says Thierry.

“As we look ahead, our mission remains clear: to combine cutting-edge technology, continuous product innovation and a deeply people-first approach to help companies worldwide create connected, rewarding and resilient workplace experiences.”