Pie Systems is a fintech company that enables international travelers to easily receive tax refunds on retail purchases through a fully digital tax-free shopping platform. Its technology helps retailers attract global shoppers while simplifying the VAT/GST refund process for tourists.
Founded: 2017
Founders: Sunny Long, Dominic Sheehy
Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
Industry:Financial Technology, Travel Retail, Tax-Free Shopping
Investors: Builders VC, Coral Capital, Green Visor Capital, Plug & Play Japan, Dreamcraft Ventures, New Commerce Ventures, MATH Venture Partners, Context Ventures
Notable Info:Pie Systems provides a digital platform that replaces traditional paper-based tax refund systems, allowing international shoppers to receive VAT or GST refunds directly to digital wallets, cards, or payment apps.
Head of Engagement
Pie Systems, a venture-backed fintech company focused on digitizing the VAT refund process for international travelers, partnered with us to support a critical hire as part of its global growth strategy. With Japan emerging as a key market for expansion, the company sought a Head of Tourist Engagement who could build and lead customer engagement initiatives while shaping the future of its traveler-facing experience.
Challenges
Limited Market Recognition: As an early-stage company, Pie Systems had relatively low brand awareness, making it harder to attract top candidates.
Complex Role Requirements: The role required a rare mix of CRM expertise and startup adaptability.
Critical Growth Market: The hire needed to lead engagement while supporting expansion in Japan.
Outcomes
Rapid Executive Placement: The Head of Tourist Engagement role was filled within one month.
Strong Customer Engagement Leadership: The selected candidate brought the expertise needed to lead traveler engagement strategy.
Improved Expansion Capability: The hire strengthened Pie Systems’ ability to scale in international markets.
The Challenge
As an early-stage startup, Pie Systems faced the challenge of limited brand recognition in the market, particularly when competing with larger and more established technology companies. While the company was addressing a meaningful problem in travel retail and fintech, its value proposition was not immediately obvious to potential candidates unfamiliar with the space.
At the same time, the role required a unique profile. The company needed a leader who could combine CRM and customer engagement expertise with the adaptability required to operate in a fast-moving startup environment. The successful candidate also needed to navigate an evolving landscape shaped by changing traveler behaviors, technology trends, and cultural expectations.
With Japan positioned as a key driver of Pie’s global expansion, finding someone who could take ownership of customer engagement in this market and help build the company’s presence locally was essential.
The Approach
To address these challenges, we focused on helping candidates understand the broader story behind Pie Systems. Rather than presenting the opportunity purely as a job opening, we positioned it within the company’s larger mission of modernizing tax-free shopping and creating a better experience for international travelers.
We worked closely with Pie’s leadership to define a clear and compelling employer value proposition, highlighting the company’s purpose-driven product, strong founding team, and the opportunity to play a meaningful role in shaping an emerging market. This narrative helped candidates look beyond company size and recognize the long-term potential of the opportunity.
Our search process emphasized personalized outreach, thoughtful candidate conversations, and a deep understanding of the company’s culture and priorities. By translating Pie’s vision and growth strategy into a clear and authentic message, we were able to engage candidates who were motivated by both impact and entrepreneurial challenge.
The Outcome
Within just one month of launching the search, we successfully placed Pie Systems’ Head of Tourist Engagement, one of the company’s most challenging roles to date. The selected candidate brought the right combination of CRM expertise, strategic thinking, and adaptability required to operate effectively in a fast-evolving startup environment.
Beyond functional expertise, the hire demonstrated the entrepreneurial mindset needed to build customer engagement capabilities from the ground up and contribute across multiple areas of the business.
This appointment strengthened Pie Systems’ ability to scale its traveler engagement strategy while supporting the company’s broader expansion in Japan and other international markets.