Franz Paasche

As Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications, Franz W. Paasche leads PayPal’s global external and internal communications functions and the company’s global government relations activities. He also guides PayPal’s efforts to drive positive social change for consumers, businesses and communities around the world. In this role, Franz brings over 25 years of experience in strategic communications and extensive expertise in corporate, government, legal and public affairs domains to PayPal’s expanding global network.

Before joining PayPal, Franz served as Head of External Relations for North America for McKinsey & Company, where he was responsible for external relations, public affairs, strategic communications and reputation risk, and oversaw issues management, thought leadership initiatives, and knowledge relationships across McKinsey’s Americas region. In addition, he served on the firm’s Global Communications and Publishing Executive Committee and provided counsel to McKinsey’s senior leadership and practice leaders.

Prior to McKinsey, Franz was a Senior Partner at Communications Consulting Worldwide, Fleishman Hillard’s multi-disciplinary strategic communications firm. Head of the firm’s leadership communications practice, he provided counsel to a wide range of global and national companies and institutions on reputation management, strategic leadership communications, brand development, public affairs and crisis communications.

In addition, Franz has been a Managing Director of the New York strategic communications firm Clark & Weinstock; General Counsel and Executive Vice President at the real-time financial information and technology company Market Data Corporation; and a litigator with the international law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. He’s a former staff member for Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and has served as a lecturer on Leadership in Communications at Columbia University’s School of Continuing Education.