A former Royal Air Force fighter pilot who once flew Tornado jets at supersonic speeds is now navigating a different kind of high-pressure environment: the financial markets.
Neeraj Kapur, 60, chief executive of CAB Payments, is leading a turnaround of the emerging markets-focused payments firm while fending off competing takeover bids. Kapur, who joined the company in 2024, has drawn on his military experience to guide the business through a challenging period marked by market volatility and investor uncertainty.
CAB Payments, which traces its roots to Crown Agents Bank, achieved a valuation of £851 million when it listed on the London Stock Exchange in July 2023. However, the company suffered a dramatic setback just months later when its shares plunged 72 per cent in a single day following a major profit warning linked to currency instability in key African markets.
Soon after, former chief executive Bhairav Trivedi departed and Kapur was brought in to stabilise the business. Since then, he has undertaken a restructuring programme, reshaping the executive team, cutting roles in some areas while expanding others such as trade finance.
The company has recently shown signs of recovery. Full-year results revealed a 12 per cent rise in income to £119 million and a 14 per cent increase in adjusted profits to £35.2 million.
Born in Punjab, India, Kapur moved to the UK as an infant and grew up in Berkshire. After studying aeronautical engineering at Imperial College London, he joined the RAF, flying Jet Provost, Hawk and Tornado aircraft before leaving in 1989 as defence cuts followed the end of the Cold War.
Kapur says the discipline and decision-making skills developed in the military remain central to his leadership style.
