Enrique Lores is a technology and business executive who currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of PayPal. He took the position on March 1, 2026, after spending more than 35 years in different leadership roles at HP Inc. Before joining PayPal as CEO, Lores served as HP’s President and CEO and was also a member and later chair of PayPal’s Board of Directors.
His career connects engineering, technology, global business management, and large-scale corporate transformation. Today, his role at PayPal focuses on global strategy, operations, growth, customer experience, and innovation in the rapidly changing digital payments industry.
Who Is Enrique Lores?
Enrique Lores is a business executive with a background in electrical engineering and business management. He was born in Madrid, Spain, and studied electrical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). He later earned an MBA from ESADE Business School.
His professional career has been closely connected with HP. He joined Hewlett-Packard in 1989 as an engineering intern and eventually moved through a wide range of technical, commercial, regional, and global leadership positions.
This long experience in technology helped prepare Lores for senior executive roles at major global companies.
Enrique Lores’ Education
Lores has both a technical and business education.
He earned a degree in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. He then completed an MBA at ESADE Business School in Barcelona.
His education is significant because his career combines technology with business leadership. In 2024, the Polytechnic University of Valencia recognized him with an honorary doctorate for his professional achievements, technical knowledge, and commitment to lifelong learning.
Enrique Lores’ Career at HP
Lores spent more than three decades at HP, building experience across several parts of the company.
During his HP career, he held leadership positions in areas including Personal Systems, Print, Industrial, and Services. He also worked in regional and global roles involving customers, sales, operations, and business strategy.
One of his important assignments came during the separation of Hewlett-Packard Company in 2015. Lores led the company’s Separation Management Office, helping manage one of the most complex corporate separations in HP’s history. The process resulted in the creation of HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
His experience in large-scale transformation later became an important part of his leadership profile.
When Did Enrique Lores Become CEO of HP?
Enrique Lores became President and CEO of HP Inc. in November 2019. He led HP through changes in technology, services, subscriptions, workplace solutions, and other areas of the business.
During his time as HP CEO, Lores focused on business transformation and adapting the company to changes in the technology market. His responsibilities included managing a global organization and balancing innovation with operational and financial performance.
His HP experience gave him more than three decades of knowledge about technology products, customers, services, and global business operations.
Enrique Lores and PayPal
Lores’ relationship with PayPal started before he became CEO.
PayPal appointed him to its Board of Directors in June 2021 while he was still CEO of HP.
In July 2024, PayPal appointed Lores as Independent Chair of its Board of Directors. This gave him several years of direct exposure to PayPal’s business, strategy, and operations before he eventually moved into the CEO position.
On February 3, 2026, PayPal announced that Lores would become President and CEO. He officially assumed the position on March 1, 2026, succeeding Alex Chriss.
What Is Enrique Lores Doing as PayPal CEO?
As PayPal’s President and CEO, Lores is responsible for the company’s global strategy, operations, and growth agenda.
PayPal operates in a highly competitive payments environment where digital wallets, mobile payments, financial technology companies, and new commerce technologies continue to develop.
According to PayPal, Lores’ priorities include improving execution, strengthening customer-focused innovation, and responding to changes in payments and commerce, including the growing role of artificial intelligence.
In his first message as PayPal CEO, Lores emphasized clear priorities, disciplined execution, innovation, and improving customer experiences. He also highlighted PayPal’s global scale, brand, consumers, merchants, and employees as important strengths.
Enrique Lores’ Leadership Experience
Lores’ leadership journey is notable for its combination of technical knowledge and long-term management experience.
Rather than beginning his career directly in the executive office, he started in engineering and gradually moved into product, commercial, operational, and global leadership positions.
His career demonstrates how technical expertise can develop into broader business leadership when combined with experience in different parts of an organization.
At PayPal, this experience is particularly relevant because digital payments depend on technology, security, customer experience, financial services, and global commerce.
Enrique Lores’ Leadership Approach
Public descriptions of Lores’ leadership emphasize customer focus, innovation, operational discipline, and execution. PayPal describes him as a leader with experience in driving innovation at scale while maintaining operational and financial discipline.
His own public statements also emphasize listening and learning. When he began his PayPal CEO role, Lores said that spending time with customers, partners, and employees would be an important part of moving the company forward.
This approach reflects his broader career in technology, where companies must continuously adapt to changing customer needs and new technologies.
Enrique Lores’ Role in the Future of PayPal
Lores became CEO at an important time for PayPal. The payments industry is changing through digital wallets, artificial intelligence, mobile commerce, new financial services, and increasing competition.
His background at HP gives him experience with large-scale technology businesses and corporate transformation. His previous service on PayPal’s board also means he had several years of familiarity with the company before becoming CEO.
The company’s future under Lores will depend on how effectively PayPal executes its strategy, develops its products, improves customer experiences, and responds to changes in digital commerce.
Conclusion
Enrique Lores’ journey from electrical engineering to the CEO position at PayPal is built around decades of experience in technology and global business leadership. His long career at HP, including his role as CEO and his work on the company’s 2015 separation, gave him experience in managing large-scale transformation.
His connection with PayPal began as a board member in 2021 and developed into the board chair role in 2024. In March 2026, he became PayPal’s President and CEO. His current role places him at the center of PayPal’s efforts to compete and innovate in the rapidly changing digital payments industry.
