Here’s something that might surprise you. While everyone’s watching Silicon Valley and Wall Street, Atlanta has become the place where roughly 70 percent of global transactions actually flow through. They don’t call it “Transaction Alley” for nothing.
And energy companies? They’ve noticed. Big time.
“Energy companies are increasingly recognizing that their next generation of leadership needs fluency in financial technology,” says Jim Hickey, President Managing Partner at Perpetual Talent Solutions, an Atlanta executive search firm. “Atlanta offers a unique concentration of that talent, combining deep payments expertise with a cost of living that makes relocation attractive for executives from both coasts.”
The Numbers Tell a Story
Look, I’m not usually one to throw statistics around. But these are kind of wild. In 2024, Atlanta saw over 400 percent year-over-year growth in total fintech deal value. That’s not a typo. Four hundred percent.
Georgia now has more than 260 fintech companies, employing around 42,500 people. The top twelve publicly traded firms alone? They’re pulling in roughly $49 billion in revenue.
This didn’t happen overnight. Companies like Global Payments, Fiserv, and NCR have been building here for decades. And Equifax has called Atlanta home since 1899. That’s over a century of financial data expertise, quietly creating a talent pipeline that startups and established players are now tapping into.
The Talent Crunch Is Real
Here’s the thing though. Having a great talent pool doesn’t mean it’s easy to hire from it.
According to a 2024 Deloitte report, over 70 percent of fintech leaders say talent shortage is their biggest barrier to growth. Not funding. Not technology. People.
And at the executive level? It gets even trickier. You need someone who actually gets the technology and can run a business. That combination is rare.
“The competition for fintech executives has never been more intense,” Hickey explains. “Energy companies are now competing not just with utilities and oil and gas firms for talent, but with payment processors, neobanks, and digital asset companies. The executives who can bridge traditional energy operations with modern financial technology are extraordinarily valuable.”
Think about it this way: research shows companies investing in digital transformation see 20 to 30 percent reductions in operational costs. That makes finding the right technology leader worth a lot more than just their salary.
Where Fintech Meets Energy
Maybe you’re wondering—why would an energy company want someone from fintech anyway?
Here’s where it gets interesting. The way we generate, distribute, and pay for energy is fundamentally changing. And a lot of that change looks… well, it looks a lot like financial technology.
We’re talking about blockchain-enabled smart contracts that automate energy trading and payments. Digital platforms where neighbors can sell solar power to each other. Mobile payment systems for EV charging. Tokenized assets that make it easier to finance renewable projects. AI that predicts demand and manages the grid in real time.
“Energy executives who understand payment infrastructure and digital transactions will be critical to managing decentralized energy networks,” Hickey says. “The utility of tomorrow looks more like a fintech platform than a traditional power company. Atlanta has developed exactly the talent pool needed to lead that transformation.”
And the AI piece of this is only getting bigger. The global AI segment in fintech was valued at around $17 billion in 2024. By 2033? It’s expected to hit $70.1 billion.
What These Executives Actually Want
Here’s something a lot of companies get wrong. They assume it’s all about money.
It’s not. Not anymore.
The executives who have options—and the good ones always have options—are looking at the whole picture. Research shows 60 percent of job seekers now rate company mission as a top consideration. They want to know if leadership genuinely supports innovation, or if technology initiatives get cut first when budgets tighten.
They’re asking about flexible work arrangements. About professional development. About whether they’ll get to drive real change or just maintain legacy systems.
“The executives we work with are evaluating energy companies on their commitment to digital transformation,” Hickey notes. “The best candidates have options, and they choose organizations that match their vision for the industry’s future.”
Why Atlanta Makes Sense
Beyond the talent pool, Atlanta has some practical advantages that matter when you’re recruiting.
The cost of living is lower than traditional financial centers. So your compensation packages go further. Hartsfield-Jackson is the world’s busiest airport, putting executives within two hours of 80 percent of the U.S. population. For senior roles that require travel, that’s huge.
Georgia’s regulatory environment has historically been friendly to financial innovation. And universities like Georgia Tech keep producing graduates who combine technical chops with business sense.
“Successful executive searches in this space require understanding both the fintech ecosystem and the specific transformation challenges facing energy companies,” Hickey says. “We’re not simply matching resumes to job descriptions. We’re identifying leaders who can navigate regulatory complexity, manage stakeholder expectations, and drive technological change in organizations that have operated traditionally for decades.”
So What Now?
The intersection of fintech and energy isn’t going away. If anything, it’s deepening. As renewable sources expand and distributed generation becomes more common, the financial infrastructure managing energy transactions will need increasingly sophisticated leadership.
With global fintech revenue expected to reach $400 billion by 2028 and energy markets going through fundamental restructuring, the executives who can operate at this intersection will shape both industries for decades.
For energy company boards and CEOs thinking about their leadership needs, the question isn’t really whether to pursue fintech expertise. It’s how quickly you can find it.
And honestly? Atlanta’s a pretty good place to start looking.
