Nominated for CMO of the Year 2026: Jens Plath Makes TWINT Part of Everyday Life in Switzerland
TWINT has long been more than just a payment app. Under the marketing leadership of Jens Plath, the platform has evolved into a digital ecosystem used by millions of people every day. The CMO and member of the Executive Board is one of the six finalists for the «CMO of the Year 2026» award. The nomination recognizes a marketing approach that consistently combines technology, customer focus, and brand management.
Anyone who listens to Jens Plath quickly realizes that he doesn’t think in terms of campaigns. He thinks in terms of systems. For him, marketing doesn’t end at the boundaries of a department; rather, it begins where products, services, sales, and the customer experience come together.
The CMO as the Architect of the Whole
That is precisely why he does not view the nomination as a personal honor. Rather, he sees it as recognition for the entire TWINT team and the ecosystem of partners, merchants, and users that made the Swiss payment app’s success story possible in the first place.
This approach aligns with an understanding of marketing that is becoming increasingly important today. Modern CMOs no longer sit on the sidelines of the company but actively help shape its future. As a member of the extended executive team, Plath belongs to a generation of marketing leaders who are increasingly blurring the lines between brand management and corporate leadership.
When Innovation Becomes a Habit
Perhaps TWINT’s greatest achievement is that the technology has become virtually invisible to users. People make payments at the supermarket, at a market stall, at a farm stand, or online—often without even thinking about it.
That’s exactly where brand strength comes from: when a product becomes part of people’s daily routines. Plath tells the story of two elderly women on a tram who were enthusiastically discussing how easy it had become to pay using the new lock screen widget. To many marketers, this might seem like a minor incident. For a CMO, it’s a strong signal. Because when people naturally integrate a product into their daily lives and talk about it, that’s when relevance is established.
The fact that TWINT now has over five million active users, processes 901 million transactions per year, and has achieved 99 percent brand awareness is a reflection of this very development.
Between Data, Strategy, and Intuition
Plath’s career path took him from PayPal and eBay to TWINT. More than 15 years of experience in marketing, strategy, innovation, and growth have shaped his leadership style. What stands out is his combination of analytical thinking and entrepreneurial intuition. Decisions are made based on data, without being guided solely by numbers.
This becomes particularly clear when looking ahead. While many companies are still grappling with the effects of current market changes, TWINT is already planning its next steps in innovation through 2028. For Plath, constant transformation is part of everyday life. What was successful yesterday will no longer be enough tomorrow.
Especially in the age of AI and digitalization, this ability to continuously adapt is becoming a core competency of modern marketing leadership. Trends must be identified, evaluated, and translated into concrete innovations—without losing sight of people in the process.
The Man Who Thinks of Marketing as Music
Perhaps an unusual hobby best explains why Jens Plath has been one of the country's most successful marketing executives for years. In his free time, he produces music.
In his view, music production and marketing are surprisingly similar. Individual measures function like individual audio tracks. Only when everything is arranged correctly does a harmonious whole emerge. It is not the volume of a single track that determines success, but rather the interplay of all the elements.
It is precisely this mindset that has shaped TWINT. Step by step, a functional payment app evolved into a digital ecosystem featuring loyalty programs, coupons, tickets, parking solutions, donation features, and e-commerce offerings. At the same time, the brand has evolved into one of Switzerland’s strongest consumer brands—in an environment traditionally characterized by functionality and little emotion.
Anyone who follows the Swiss awards scene has long been familiar with Jens Plath. With TWINT, he has been a regular presence on stages across the country for years. His spot in the finals of the «CMO of the Year 2026» is the latest chapter in this success story. At the same time, it exemplifies a new generation of marketing leaders: strategists, technologists, and brand builders all rolled into one.
