# John Thomson

> John Thomson is the founder and CEO of PayIt, a Kansas City company providing digital government services and payments. A Baker University business graduate and former Saepio Technologies CEO, he founded PayIt in 2013 after a frustrating vehicle-registration renewal. His public record includes software roles at Cerner and EMC, an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Heartland award in 2020, and service on the boards of Baker University and the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at PayIt
- **Organizations:** PayIt, Saepio Technologies, EMC, Cerner, Baker University, National WWI Museum and Memorial, American Legion Boys State of Missouri
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Business, Baker University
- **Known for:** EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Heartland award recipient., StateScoop 50 Industry Leadership of the Year recognition in 2020., Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City Business Hall of Fame inductee, 2021.

## Career timeline

- **1995** — Graduated from Baker University with a business degree; began a career that included six years at Cerner.
- **2001-2007** — Worked at EMC in account strategy; the period is corroborated by his public career history and a 2009 Baker alumni profile.
- **2007-2013** — President and CEO of Saepio Technologies.
- **2013** — Founded PayIt after frustration renewing his vehicle registration.
- **2016** — PayIt announced a $4.5 million investment; early reporting named Thomson, Mike Plunkett and Ryan Townsend as co-founders.
- **2019** — PayIt received an investment of more than $100 million from Insight Partners.
- **2020** — PayIt opened a Canadian headquarters in Toronto; Thomson received EY Heartland and StateScoop leadership recognition and joined the National WWI Museum and Memorial board.
- **2021** — Inducted into Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City’s Business Hall of Fame.
- **2022** — PayIt announced a $90 million growth investment from Macquarie Capital Principal Finance.
- **2023** — PayIt acquired Sovereign Sportsman Solutions; completion was confirmed in July.
- **2026** — Continues as founder and CEO; PayIt introduced Smart Works in June and received AWS Champion recognition in September.

## Achievements

- EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Heartland award recipient.
- StateScoop 50 Industry Leadership of the Year recognition in 2020.
- Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City Business Hall of Fame inductee, 2021.
- National Outstanding Eagle Scout recognition, 2018.
- Baker University Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, 2018.
- Led PayIt through the publicly announced 2019 Insight Partners investment and 2022 Macquarie investment.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — PayIt was named a 2026 AWS Champion on September 15, its second consecutive year receiving the recognition.
- **2026-09** — PayIt published a Consumer Digital Government Adoption Index, surveying 1,038 U.S. residents, on September 3.
- **2026-06** — PayIt introduced Smart Works, an AI feature suite for government operations and service delivery, on June 16.
- **2026-01** — In a LinkedIn post about 2026 predictions, Thomson emphasized focus, measurable impact and the skills government teams need.

## Links

- Website: https://payitgov.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnthomson3

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-thomson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21