The CTP Team
Former Operators — Now Advisors
Pete Donat
Pete is Founder of Commerce Technology Partners (CTP), a consultancy advising Banking and FinTech clients in growth, M&A, partnership, expansion, litigation and regulatory issues since 2017.
With 30 years in the payments industry, Pete has a strong history of executing on transformative deals and initiatives. He was SVP of Ventures & Business Development at First Data Corporation (FDC) with responsibility for establishing the company’s most disruptive partnerships—while also driving investments, acquisitions and partnerships with early stage FinTech startups.
Prior roles at FDC included Network Innovation & Partnerships, STAR Growth, and chair of First Data’s Durbin /Regulatory response teams. Prior to FDC, Pete led Corporate Strategy, Product, Finance, Change Management and e-Business functions at Mastercard and Visa.
Outside of CTP, he serves as a Sr. Advisor at Needham’s FinTech Investment Banking practice; and as a Senior Advisor with BCG’s Financial Services Practice.
Pete received an MBA in Finance from Wharton, an M.A. in International Economics from Johns Hopkins (SAIS), and a B.A. from Dartmouth.
Mike Hursta
Mike has 20 years of experience in the payments industry with a focus on solutioning and strategies for merchants and other payment acceptors.
His background includes roles in product management, business development, P&L responsibilities, partnerships, public policy and consulting across global clientele. Prior to CTP he led the Enterprise Payment Advisory practice at PwC with an emphasis on payment transformation for merchants including implications to customer experience, data driven analysis, and driving greater efficiencies.
Mike industry experience includes leading North American payment acceptance at Amazon, where he launched several new payment methods and drove strategies leading to billions in cost savings. He was also general manager of the Valuelink merchant prepaid business at First Data Corporation, leading the associated sales, tech, product, and marketing functions for thousands of merchant clients in over 50 countries.
Additionally, Mike has led technology development within the telecom industry and served as a military officer. Mike holds an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley, B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Ready to streamline your payments & start saving money?
If your immediate answer isn’t “obviously” — let Pete & Mike show you how.