The Financial Technology report is pleased to announce The Top 50 Financial Technology CEOs of 2024. In an increasingly crowded fintech market, these leaders have managed to chart their own course. They have built companies that address key challenges in the financial services space, whether it’s improving financial inclusion, simplifying insurance, providing real-time data for better decision-making, or streamlining complex procurement processes. These CEOs have not only responded to the industry's rapid evolution, but have led their companies in reshaping financial services.
Among this year’s awardees, Doug Ricket, CEO and Founder of PayJoy, stands out for his pioneering work in providing access to credit in emerging markets, leveraging mobile security technology to make smartphones affordable through innovative financing solutions. Jackie Reses, CEO and Co-Founder of Lead Bank, stands out for her deep expertise in navigating complex banking regulations and her commitment to modernizing banking services through innovative technology, empowering builders and innovators to scale. Zachary Garippa, CEO and Co-Founder of Order.co, is known for his leadership in streamlining procurement processes, creating a platform that simplifies purchasing and payments for businesses while driving efficiency and cost reduction.
This year’s awardees were selected through a methodical nomination process and careful consideration of each candidate’s career track record and industry contributions. Please join us in celebrating The Top 50 Financial Technology CEOs of 2024.
1. Simon Paris
Firm: Finastra
Title: Outgoing CEO
Simon Paris is the Chief Executive Officer of Finastra, a global provider of financial services software applications across lending, payments, treasury and capital markets, and universal (retail and digital) banking. The company’s vision is to advance open finance through technology and collaboration, serving approximately 8,100 financial institutions, including many of the world’s top banks. Paris is responsible for Finastra’s strategic direction and growth, guiding the company in fostering industry collaboration and innovation within financial services.
Paris joined Finastra formerly Misys as President in 2015, was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer in 2017, and became Chief Executive Officer in June 2018. He brings more than 25 years of sales, management and global leadership expertise to the company, having previously held the role of President, Industry Cloud at SAP. Prior, he was a senior consultant with McKinsey & Company. He holds an MBA from the INSEAD Business School in France and a bachelor’s degree in business and European languages from the European Business School.
2. Tad Phelps
Firm: Fintech
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Tad Phelps is the Chief Executive Officer of Fintech, a business solutions provider that has served the beverage alcohol industry for over 33 years. Supported by TA Associates and General Atlantic, Fintech's flagship product, PaymentSource, is used by over 250,000 retail and hospitality businesses and more than 5,000 alcohol distributors and suppliers nationwide.
Phelps is an experienced senior executive with a demonstrated history of working in the software, hardware and services industry. His expertise spans operations management, sales, professional services, management, hardware, and SaaS both globally and domestically.
Phelps brings 27 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 1997 as Director of New Business Development at AFC Enterprises - Popeyes Chicken, before eventually rising to global General Manager and VP at NCR Corporation, his most recent position prior to joining Fintech. Phelps graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with an undergraduate degree in marketing and hotel restaurant management.
3. Adam Elster
Firm: Majesco
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Adam joined Majesco as Chief Executive Officer in 2018, bringing extensive leadership experience and a track record of driving growth and innovation. Majesco provides technology solutions for the insurance industry, helping insurers manage the full policy lifecycle, including administration, billing, and claims. Adam is known for his strategic vision, focus on innovation, and commitment to delivering value to customers, employees, and stakeholders.
Before Majesco, Adam served as President of Global Field Operations and was a member of the executive leadership team at CA Technologies, a $4.5 billion Fortune 500 company. In this role, he led high-performing teams that supported the digital transformation efforts of some of the world’s largest and most influential enterprises.
His leadership enabled businesses to become more agile, secure, and innovative, helping them adapt to rapidly evolving market demands. Adam played a key role in transforming CA Technologies from a legacy software provider into a recognized leader in digital transformation, focusing on areas such as DevOps, API management, security, and agile management.
In addition to his role at Majesco, Adam serves on the board of Command Alkon, a global leader in technology solutions for the heavy building materials industry, and HCSS, a software provider that enables construction companies to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
4. Henry Ward
Firm: Carta
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Henry Ward is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Carta. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 7,000 investment funds and SPVs, and over two million equity holders to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. Carta’s tender offer solutions have returned $14 billion to shareholders in secondary transactions.
Prior to Carta, Ward was Founder and CEO of Secondsight, a portfolio optimization platform for retail investors. He also held leadership positions at software companies including Reddwerks and BetweenMarkets. Ward holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in market finance from EDHEC Business School.
5. Doug Ricket
Firm: PayJoy
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Doug Ricket is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of PayJoy, a company focused on providing access to credit for individuals in emerging markets. Through its mobile security technology, PayJoy enables customers to purchase their first smartphone on credit, using the device as collateral.
Ricket founded PayJoy in 2015 to make technology and financial services affordable in emerging markets. Ricket was inspired by his time as a Peace Corps volunteer teacher in West Africa, his work building the first global digital map at Google Maps, and his patented inventions that launched the pay-as-you-go solar industry.
Previously, Ricket was a CEO at Silicon Valley Technology Partners and before that a Director of Engineering at D.light Design. Earlier in his career he worked with Google as a senior software engineer and manager. Ricket holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer engineering from MIT with concentration in AI. He also holds an MBA from Stanford, where he guest lectures in the big data and machine learning course.
6. Dirk Kruse
Firm: SAP Fioneer
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Dirk Kruse is the Chief Executive Officer of SAP Fioneer. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s direction and growth by providing strategic, financial, and operational leadership. Launched in 2021 as a joint venture between SAP and Dediq, the company provides financial services software solutions. SAP Fioneer serves over 1,200 financial services customers and 1,000 employees across 17 countries in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
Kruse has more than 20 years of professional experience as an executive in the technology and financial services industry. Having held various leadership positions within software, cloud sales and consulting, he has gained thorough expertise and a broad business network across all service industries. Throughout his career, he has worked with major international banks and insurance companies to support their business transformations through strategic IT initiatives.
Prior to joining SAP Fioneer, Kruse served as member of the management board and Head of Service Industries of SAP Germany SE & Co. KG. His responsibilities included the areas of sales, presales, value engineering and services for banking, insurance, media, professional services, telecommunications, as well as travel and transportation. Kruse holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Cologne.
7. Ryan Caldwell
Firm: MX Technologies
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Ryan Caldwell is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MX Technologies, a leader in actionable intelligence, enabling financial providers and consumers to do more with financial data. MX provides end-to-end solutions for financial institutions and fintechs to connect to, understand, and act on customers’ financial data. Caldwell also currently serves as the Chairman of the MX Board of Directors.
Before founding MX in 2010, Caldwell built and successfully exited several technology startups, as well as consulted in Silicon Valley, Singapore, and London for leading companies including Visa and Microsoft. Caldwell graduated from United States Air Force Academy with an undergraduate degree in computer science, biology and Mandarin Chinese.
8. Gal Krubiner
Firm: Pagaya Technologies
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Gal Krubiner has served as the Chief Executive Officer and a Director since co-founding Pagaya in 2016. Pagaya is a global technology company focused on making financial products and services available to more people nationwide. Krubiner brings extensive experience to the investments and wealth management industry with a specialization in innovative and sophisticated credit structured products.
Prior to co-founding Pagaya, Krubiner focused on structuring and distributing sophisticated credit and asset-backed securities products with UBS AG, as well as holding other positions specializing in investment, entrepreneurism, and financial markets. Krubiner graduated from Tel Aviv University with an undergraduate degree in economics and statistics.
9. Zachary Garippa
Firm: Order.co
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Zachary Garippa is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Order.co, a procurement software designed to simplify purchasing and reduce costs. Order.co automates purchasing and payment tasks, providing a single platform for businesses to manage approvals, orders, tracking, and payments.
Garippa brings 12 years of experience to his current role. Before joining Order.co, he was a registered client services associate at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Garippa graduated from Boston College Carroll School of Management with an undergraduate degree in finance and economics.
10. Kent Collier
Firm: Octus
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Kent Collier is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Octus, founded in 2013 and formerly known as Reorg. Octus provides credit intelligence and data to buy-side firms, investment banks, law firms, and advisory firms.
Collier's goal has been to transform how credit data is understood and leveraged. With experience as a research analyst at firms such as Millennium Partners, Catalyst Investment Management, Assurant Asset Management, and Babson Capital, his expertise spans high-yield, distressed debt, and special situations.
Previously, Collier was a VP of Asset Management at Assurant Asset Management and before that a senior analyst at Catalyst Investment Management. Earlier in his career he worked with Babson Capital Management as an associate director. Collier earned an undergraduate degree in commerce from the University of Virginia.
11. Jacqueline Reses
Firm: Lead
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Jackie Reses is the Chair, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Founder of Lead Bank, a chartered banking-as-a-service platform for builders and innovators. Lead brings decades of experience navigating complex banking regulations and developing modern technology to offer banking products and services that help partners scale. Lead is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and serves clients online across the U.S.
Previously, Reses was the Executive Chairman of Square Financial Services and Capital Lead and Head of the People Team at Block, formerly Square. Prior to that, she was Chief Development Officer at Yahoo! and was a Partner at Apax Partners Worldwide. Reses holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from The Wharton School.
12. Ivan Soto-Wright
Firm: MoonPay
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Ivan Soto-Wright is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MoonPay, a multinational financial technology company involved in the transfer of cryptocurrency. Ivan is a leading financial technology entrepreneur and investor, and he is a member of the Milken Institute Fintech Advisory Council. Throughout his career he has advocated for building systems and developing technologies that increase financial freedom.
Before founding MoonPay, Ivan was the CEO and Co-Founder of Saveable, a smart money app that helped millions in the UK and Europe invest, save, and manage spending through automation. He began his career at London-based investment advisory firm Redington, where he provided strategic asset allocation and portfolio construction advice to some of the world’s largest pension funds and insurance companies.
Ivan holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from The George Washington University and studied philosophy, politics, and economics at the University of Oxford. Ivan currently serves on the board of directors of the Chopra Foundation.
13. George Gresham
Firm: Green Dot
Title: Director, Chief Executive Officer and President
George Gresham is the Director, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Green Dot, a financial technology and registered bank holding company. Green Dot’s technology platform enables the development of products and features designed to address key financial challenges for consumers and businesses, helping to transform how they manage and move money.
Gresham has served as CFO and COO and on the company’s board of directors since October 2021. He is a veteran finance and payments executive, having previously served on the boards of both Green Dot Corporation and Green Dot Bank, and as CFO at NetSpend Holdings.
Before these executive roles, Gresham was CFO and EVP at Global Cash Access, and CFO and Chief Administrative Officer at EFD. He also served on the board of EML Payments. Gresham is the Founder and CEO of Granite Reef Advisors and Co-Founder and Chairman of Dama Technologies.
Gresham holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Northern Arizona University and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
14. Mike Massaro
Firm: Flywire
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Mike Massaro is the Chief Executive Officer of Flywire, where he has led the company’s growth from concept to a global business. He has overseen Flywire’s expansion across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, aligning its international team with the company’s strategic direction and enhancing its global visibility.
Massaro began his career as part of the technical risk services practice at PwC. His background spans global payments, mobile software and hardware, and e-billing at high growth technology companies, including Carrier IQ and edocs. Massaro holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Babson College.
15. Fernando Zandona
Firm: Mambu
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Fernando Zandona is the Chief Executive Officer of Mambu, a SaaS cloud banking platform launched in 2011. Mambu enables the design and build of a wide range of financial offerings for banks, lenders, fintechs, retailers, telcos, and more.
Zandona is a technology and engineering leader with over 20 years of experience at organizations such as Amazon and Microsoft. He leverages deep technical insight gathered in hyper-growth environments to drive Mambu’s global teams and deliver optimal results for customers. Earlier in his career he worked with Starmedia as a technical project manager. Zandona earned an undergraduate degree in physics from the Universidade de São Paulo.
16. Matan Bar
Firm: Melio
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Matan Bar is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Melio. Melio was created with the goal of providing more than just an efficient Accounts Payable tool—it aims to offer small businesses a B2B payments experience that saves time and improves cash flow. The platform simplifies payment workflows, enabling businesses to focus on their customers rather than back-office operations.
Bar brings 21 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2003 as a data mining and profiling team leader in the Central Unit of Special investigations in the Israel Defense Forces. From there, he went on to Atera Networks, before eventually rising to Director of Global P2P Payments at PayPal, his most recent position prior to joining Melio. Bar graduated from Tel Aviv University with an undergraduate degree in computer science and management.
17. Peter Reynolds
Firm: ThetaRay
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Peter Reynolds is the Chief Executive Officer of ThetaRay, a provider of anti-money laundering solutions powered by AI. The company helps banks, fintechs, and regulators ensure trusted transactions and customers globally. ThetaRay's transaction monitoring, transaction and customer screening, and customer risk assessment product suite aims to enable compliant business growth and help institutions fight financial crime.
Reynolds brings 23 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2001 as a relationship manager at HSBC. From there, he went on to Thomson Reuters, before eventually rising to Head of Insurance at Earnix, his most recent position prior to joining ThetaRay. Reynolds graduated from London Metropolitan University with a bachelor’s degree in law.
18. Melbourne O'Banion
Firm: Bestow
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Melbourne O'Banion is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Bestow. The company partners with leading life insurance carriers to leverage technology and data solutions, aiming to increase financial stability for all by reducing costs, maximizing efficiency, and streamlining processes from origination and underwriting to administration.
O'Banion is an entrepreneur and seasoned investor with a track record of start-up success. Before Bestow, he was a founding member of Presidio Title, a leading title insurance agency in Texas. He also co-founded Beauty Bioscience, a luxury skincare line. He is a member of the National Advisory Council for the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, where he studied finance and Ancient Near Eastern studies, and serves on the board of the SMU Tate Lecture Series.
19. Andrew Hocking
Firm: Tribe Payments
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Andrew Hocking is the Chief Executive Officer of Tribe Payments. Founded in 2018 as an issuer and acquirer processor, Tribe has grown into a digital payments and infrastructure orchestrator that provides merchants, banks, fintechs, issuers and acquirers with an extensive ecosystem of products to help them build, customize, and deliver programs quickly without compromising quality.
Prior to joining Tribe Payments in 2023, Hocking built extensive experience throughout the payments ecosystem, including as CEO at online payment provider Pay.com, Chief Strategy and Analytics Officer at payment processor Network International, and Head of Strategic Planning at Elavon.
Hocking began his career in financial services at West Bromwich Building Society before joining Barclaycard in 2002 as an analyst, and quickly gained a series of promotions in a range of strategic and operational roles. These included becoming Head of Strategy, Planning and Integration at Barclaycard’s Absa Card unit, leading strategy development, business planning, and integration across the Absa Group, Barclays Group, and internally within Absa Card.
Hocking holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Aberystwyth University and an MBA from the University of Warwick Business School.
20. Martin Toha
Firm: Array
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Martin Toha is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Array, a financial innovation platform launched in 2020. Array helps digital brands, financial institutions, and fintechs bring compelling consumer products to market faster by offering a suite of embeddable, customizable products. These products aim to drive engagement, increase conversions, unlock new revenue streams, and empower consumers.
Toha’s entrepreneurial journey began in high school when he built and sold his first tech product. Array was founded when Toha identified an opportunity to create fintech products that meet consumers where they are, rather than requiring them to adopt multiple new apps from competing companies.
Prior to Array, Martin founded and served as CEO of Pentius, a company that creates consumer credit management products and services. He previously founded and led VOIP.com and prior to that ran OrderMachine, an e-commerce and payments company.
21. Dorian Selz
Firm: Squirro AG
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Dorian Selz is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Squirro AG, an augmented intelligence platform. A serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in scaling businesses and leading fundraising efforts, Selz has built Squirro with a diverse, multicultural team and offices in Zurich, New York City, London, and Singapore.
Before joining Squirro AG, Selz was a Co-Founder and CEO at memonic.com and before that a Partner and COO at Namics a Merkle Company. Earlier in his career he worked with AEGEE, European Students' Forum as a member and President. Selz graduated from the University of St.Gallen with a PhD in information systems and information management and from the University of Aberdeen with an undergraduate degree in economics.
22. Matias Recchia
Firm: Keyway
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Matias Recchia is the Co-Founder and CEO of Keyway, a generative AI company providing real estate solutions including an AI Co-Pilot, transactability recommendations, and AI-driven comps.
Prior to Keyway, Matias served as Co-Founder and CEO of IguanaFix, a technology platform for property management and maintenance services in Latin America. Previously, Matias served as COO of Vostu, the largest social gaming company in Latin America. Matias also has worked at both McKinsey and P&G.
Matias holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he served as an Entrepreneur-in Residence. Matias also collaborated as Entrepreneur with Schmidt Futures for philanthropic initiatives in Latin America.
23. Jude Melville
Firm: b1BANK
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Jude Melville is the Chief Executive Officer of b1BANK. Founded in 2006 as a community bank to support entrepreneurs and small businesses, b1BANK has grown through its relationship-based banking approach and innovative technology. Business First Bancshares, through b1BANK, operates banking centers and loan production offices across Louisiana and Texas, offering a range of commercial and personal banking products and services.
Melville brings 19 years of experience to his current role. He holds a master’s degree in management from The London School of Economics and Political Science and an undergraduate degree from Harvard University.
24. Colin Walsh
Firm: Varo Bank
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Colin Walsh is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Varo Bank, a fully digital, mission-driven, FDIC-insured bank designed to meet the needs of modern customers. Varo’s team combines seasoned banking veterans with technology experts to create a mobile app offering premium banking features, including faster access to funds, high-yield savings, and automated saving tools.
Walsh brings 27 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 1997 as an EVP at Wells Fargo. From there, he went on to Lloyds Banking Group, before eventually rising to EVP of Proprietary Card Services in Europe at American Express, his most recent position prior to joining Varo Bank. Walsh graduated from Cornell University.
25. Steve Lekas
Firm: Branch
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Steve Lekas is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Branch, a provider of simple, savings-focused home and auto insurance. Branch's instant-bind capability aims to eliminate the friction of getting covered, allowing consumers to easily bundle their home and auto insurance. With 23 years of experience, Lekas founded Branch with a vision to simplify insurance and make it more accessible for consumers.
Before joining Branch, Lekas was a first notice of loss call representative at Allstate and before that a Homeowners Director of Product Management and actuarial at Esurance Insurance. Earlier in his career he worked with Verisk Analytics as an SVP of Product, Strategy, Finance, and Marketing. Lekas graduated from Kent State University with an undergraduate degree in marketing, computer, and information sciences.
26. Lilac Bar David
Firm: Lili
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Lilac Bar David is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lili, a business finance platform designed to make the financial aspects of running a business easier to manage and understand. Lili combines business banking, accounting, invoicing, bill pay and tax preparation software in one platform.
David brings 20 years of experience to her current role. Before joining Lili, David was a Founder and CEO at Pepper and before that an EVP of Business Development and Strategy at Leumi Card. Earlier in her career she worked with Leumi Card as a manager of financial controls. David graduated from Tel Aviv University with an MBA in management information systems and an undergraduate degree in economics and accounting.
27. Mike de Vere
Firm: Zest AI
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Mike de Vere is the CEO of Zest AI, which uses artificial intelligence to automate underwriting and bolster financial equity and inclusive lending for underrepresented groups. With 30 years of experience, Mike has previously worked with organizations like Nielsen, Harris Poll, and JD Power, where he focused on amplifying consumer voices to governments and businesses. His diverse background highlights his ability to lead organizations in translating data into insights that improve consumers’ lives.
With Mike at the helm, Zest AI has helped lenders assess over 39 million consumer loan applications, resulting in $250 billion in loans granted based on its AI models. In the past four years, the company has also increased its customer base by more than 50 percent yearly, from some of the country's smallest credit unions to the biggest banks, which collectively serve over 110 million people. Mike holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Northridge.
28. Amber Nigam
Firm: Basys
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Amber Nigam is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of basys.ai, a digital health startup optimizing healthcare workflows with AI. The proprietary platform automates the process of encoding/digitizing the payer policies using machine learning, thus reducing the piloting timeline by up to 9 months.
With over 14 years of experience in healthcare, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship, Nigam brings a deep expertise in leveraging advanced technologies to drive innovation. Previously, Nigam founded kydots.ai, leading teams to develop innovative solutions that resulted in two patents and a research publication before the venture's acquisition.
Additionally, Nigam served as Co-Director of the Harvard Business Club, offering strategic support and fundraising guidance to empower Harvard-affiliated founders. Nigam holds a bachelor's degree in computer science and a master's degree in health data science from Harvard University.
29. Robert Colonna
Firm: Innovative Systems
Title: Chairman of the Board, President and CEO
Robert Colonna is the Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Innovative Systems, which delivers enterprise data, compliance, and integration solutions through the company’s leading FinScan®, Enlighten®, and PostLocate® brands, offering actionable insights and enabling organizations to identify the hidden opportunities or risks in their data.
Colonna was the principal designer of Innovative’s data cleansing, matching, and marketing database software. His interest in computational linguistics stems from his military experience, where he attended French and German language schools. This linguistic background, combined with his degrees in mathematics and management science, provided Colonna with the training to develop Innovative’s leading-edge technology.
30. Imad Jebara
Firm: Boast
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Imad Jebara is the Chief Executive Officer of Boast, a company that helps organizations claim and access eligible R&D tax credits while minimizing audit risks and streamlining processes in Canada and the United States.
Prior to joining Boast, Jebara spent over eight years at Diligent, navigating its various phases and leading multiple teams. Jebara joined the company when it was known as ACL, which later rebranded to Galvanize following ACL's acquisition of Rsam. Galvanize was ultimately acquired by Diligent in a $1 billion transaction, creating the world's largest and leading GRC software company.
Jebara graduated from Auburn University with an MBA in finance and a master’s degree in management information systems, and from Birzeit University with an undergraduate degree in accounting.
31. Myles Bertrand
Firm: Tuum
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Myles Bertrand is the Chief Executive Officer of Tuum, a company focused on helping banks replace legacy systems, reduce maintenance costs, and adapt to the digital era. Tuum provides solutions designed to help financial institutions navigate technological transitions and unlock new opportunities. Bertrand is an experienced leader with over 20 years of experience in financial technology and banking software solutions.
As the former Managing Director at Mambu APAC, and more recently the Chief Revenue Officer at global digital micropayments platform DT One, Bertrand brings key strengths in core banking and payments coupled with a wealth of experience in leading growth and driving execution globally, developing strategic business partnerships and building teams that drive company success. Bertrand graduated from The University of Auckland with an undergraduate degree.
32. JB Orecchia
Firm: SavvyMoney
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
JB Orecchia is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SavvyMoney, a provider of credit score solutions serving over 1,350 banks, credit unions, and fintechs nationwide. Since 2011, Orecchia and his team have developed SavvyMoney into a credit and lending tool that integrates with over 40 digital banking platforms, helping financial institutions provide financial education and personalized lending.
Orecchia has more than 34 years of experience in consumer finance, fintech and interactive media. He began his career 1988 with 10 years in various senior roles at Household International in lending and marketing. In 1998, he joined the original senior team at Experian Consumer Direct. As EVP of Partnership Marketing, he led the team responsible for business development and online marketing of the direct-to-consumer credit report and score product.
To expand on his digital marketing experience post-Experian and pre-SavvyMoney, Orecchia had the opportunity to be Vice President of Marketing for Disney Online, where he directed online marketing, CRM, research and analytics initiatives. Orecchia graduated from the University of San Diego with an undergraduate degree in communications.
33. Dean M. Leavitt
Firm: Boost Payment Solutions
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Dean M. Leavitt has over 30 years of experience in the electronic payments industry, having held leadership roles at both public and private companies. In 2009, Dean founded Boost Payment Solutions to address the evolving needs of the B2B payments sector with technology solutions designed to support modern commercial transactions. Today, Boost operates in more than 180 countries, providing B2B payment solutions to global businesses.
Immediately prior to forming Boost Payment Solutions, Dean served as the bankruptcy court-appointed Interim President of Cynergy Data, where he led the credit card processing company through its restructuring and sale process. Prior to Cynergy Data, Dean served as Chairman and CEO of publicly traded US Wireless Data.
Prior to US Wireless Data, Dean founded and served as President of US Data Capture, a New York-based credit card processing company serving the institutional marketplace. While at USDC, Dean entered into card acceptance agreements with many businesses and institutions that had not previously considered card acceptance as a form of payment, including hospitals, universities, municipalities and supermarkets.
Dean currently serves as a member of both the Global and European Advisory Boards of Commercial Payments International and previously served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Electronic Transactions Association.
34. Tom Spann
Firm: Brightside
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Tom Spann is the Chief Executive Officer of Brightside, a company that introduced Financial Care as a new category in employee benefits to help reduce financial stress. Since 2018, Brightside's Financial Assistants, proprietary rules engine, and product platform have supported thousands of families in saving money, improving emergency savings, and reducing debt, contributing to improved retention, productivity, and workforce diversity while lowering healthcare costs.
Spann brings 21 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2003 as a President at Accenture Foundation. From there, he went on to Accenture, before eventually rising to Founder and Vice Chair at Accolade, his most recent position prior to joining Brightside. Spann graduated from The Wharton School with an undergraduate degree in economics.
35. John Fees
Firm: Gradguard
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
John Fees is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gradguard, a specialty insurance holding company that develops digital distribution platforms for the collegiate market. GradGuard helps schools educate and protect students through tuition and renters insurance programs integrated into the enrollment processes of over 600 schools nationwide. Since its founding in 2009, GradGuard has protected more than 1.8 million students across over 1,800 schools.
With three decades of experience at the intersection of education, financial services, and technology, Fees has successfully founded and exited two ventures, Y2M and Members Connect, to Viacom and JP Morgan Chase, respectively.
Fees also co-founded Next Generation Insurance Group and previously served as Managing Partner at Access Venture Group. Early in his career, Fees was associate director and COO of the Arizona State University Alumni Association. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in history from Arizona State University.
36. Jose Bethancourt
Firm: Method Financial
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Jose Bethancourt is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Method Financial, a company that enables real-time data and payment access for consumer liabilities. With the consumer's consent, Method securely connects and retrieves comprehensive data from all of a user's liabilities, allowing for seamless payment access.
Bethancourt brings 8 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2016 as a software engineer at Clover Network. From there, he went on to ForeFlight, before eventually rising to Co-Founder and CEO at GradJoy, his most recent position prior to joining Method Financial. Bethancourt graduated from Texas McCombs School of Business with an undergraduate degree in business administration in management information systems.
37. David Wang
Firm: Helicap
Title: Co-Founder & CEO
David Wang is the Co-Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Helicap, a fintech-driven investment company specializing in alternative lending. Focused on the unbanked and underbanked populations in Southeast Asia and Australia, Helicap provides access to alternative debt investments, leveraging proprietary technology to analyze and assess millions of loan data points.
Previously, Wang was an investor and Chief Investment Officer at MC Payment Limited. Earlier in his career he worked with Morgan Stanley as a Director of Global Markets Multi-Asset Investing. Wang earned an undergraduate degree in business administration from the NUS University Scholars Programme.
38. Shawn Melamed
Firm: Spiral
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Shawn Melamed is the CEO and Co-Founder of Spiral, a platform designed to help financial institutions enhance retention, deposits, and revenue through personalized banking experiences. As a serial fintech entrepreneur and investor, Shawn is focused on improving financial services to better serve consumers.
Prior to founding Spiral, Shawn was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, where he led the Technology Business Development and Innovation Offices. In this role, he formed strategic partnerships with Fortune 100 companies and tech innovators, and played a key part in product implementations, IPOs, and M&A deals for companies such as Zoom, Cloudera, Splunk, and Dell.
Before Morgan Stanley, Shawn led two tech companies, Correlix and Strike Technologies Services, both of which were successfully acquired. Correlix, backed by Sequoia Capital and Blumberg Capital, became a leader in transaction monitoring for electronic trading, while Strike Technologies Services, known for its ultra-low latency market data network, was acquired by TMX Group. Now leading Spiral, Shawn continues to drive innovation in the digital banking space, with the company having raised $44 million in Series A funding.
39. Naaz Scheik
Firm: SoftPak Financial Systems
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Naaz Scheik is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of SoftPak Financial Systems, a financial technology company. With over 30 years of experience in developing and managing quantitative finance applications, Naaz has played a crucial role in transforming financial software solutions at SoftPak.
In 1994, Naaz founded SoftPak Financial Systems with the mission to revolutionize financial technology by providing intuitive software that equips portfolio managers with advanced analytical tools. Under his leadership, SoftPak has also grown significantly, employing over 150 professionals worldwide and processing more than $500 billion annually in trades and transactions for some of the largest global investment firms.
The company's offerings have expanded from custom software solutions to a comprehensive suite that includes consultant placement and packaged software products. Naaz’s vision for SoftPak includes expanding into related sectors such as commercial banking and insurance while maintaining a focus on delivering advanced technology solutions.
Naaz began his career as a quantitative analyst at Wellington Management in Boston, where he specialized in financial analytics and portfolio management. He holds a master’s degree in mathematics and physics from Tufts University and the University of Karachi.
40. Ariel Tiger
Firm: EverC
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Ariel Tiger is the Chief Executive Officer of EverC, a cross-channel risk management provider dedicated to reshaping the digital landscape into a transparent and trusted environment for e-commerce. Through advanced AI-driven technologies, EverC's scalable solutions power growth for global marketplaces, as well as leading financial institutions and payment providers.
Prior to his role at EverC, Ariel was a founding executive at WeWork, where he played a key part in shaping the company’s early development. His background as an M&A Investment Banker at Deutsche Bank Securities further refined his strategic expertise.
Ariel's journey of leadership extends to his time in the Israeli Navy, where he held leadership roles after graduating from the Naval Academy. He holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
41. Martin Markiewicz
Firm: Silent Eight
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Martin Markiewicz is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Silent Eight, a company focused on using machine learning to assess potential financial crime risks. Based in Singapore, Silent Eight has grown to become a leader in AI-driven adjudications, combining technology with client expertise to improve financial crime prevention.
Markiewicz brings 23 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2001 as a CEO and Founder at konsultant.it. From there, he went on to Wola Info S.A., before eventually rising to CEO and Founder at SEVENFLOW INVESTMENTS, his most recent position prior to joining Silent Eight.
42. Jay Harkrider
Firm: Foxen
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Jay Harkrider is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Foxen. With extensive experience in real estate investment and operations, Harkrider founded Foxen to develop innovative products and services that address challenges faced by property owners, operators, and tenants. The platform combines advanced technology, industry insights, and a focus on solving real estate-specific problems.
Prior to founding Foxen, Harkrider co-founded Coastal Ridge, a vertically integrated real estate firm specializing in property management, investment management, and the development of multifamily real estate. Coastal Ridge has grown to manage over $5 billion in assets and continues to thrive under the leadership of Harkrider’s business partners, with a focus on delivering strong returns to investors. Harkrider graduated from Miami University with an undergraduate degree in finance and entrepreneurship.
43. Ryth Martin
Firm: Skipify
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Ryth Martin is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Skipify, a fintech company based in San Francisco, California. Skipify's mission is to connect people with trusted merchants and financial products through innovative and secure digital experiences.
Martin brings 18 years of experience to his current role. Before joining Skipify, Martin was a Founder and CEO at GLP and before that a VP of Marketing at FreeMonee Network. Earlier in his career he worked with Salesforce. Martin graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.
44. Yamini Bhat
Firm: Vymo
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Yamini Bhat is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vymo, a sales engagement platform used by 300,000 salespeople across more than 65 global financial institutions, including AIA, Berkshire Hathaway, Generali, AXA, Sunlife, and HDFC Bank. The platform aims to enhance productivity through nudges and interventions across the customer lifecycle.
Bhat brings 17 years of experience to his current role. Before joining Vymo, he was an engagement manager at McKinsey & Company. Bhat graduated from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore with an MBA and from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani with an undergraduate degree in computer science.
45. Avi Patchava
Firm: Bright Money
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Avi Patchava is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Bright Money, an AI-driven fintech company with teams in San Francisco and Bangalore. The company combines product and technology teams across both locations to develop global solutions.
Patchava brings 16 years of experience to his current role. Before joining Bright Money, he was a VP of Data Sciences and Machine Learning at InMobi. Earlier in his career he worked with McKinsey & Company as a business analyst consultant.
Patchava holds a master’s degree in philosophy, politics, and economics from the University of Oxford, a master’s degree in economics and philosophy from The London School of Economics and Political Science, and an undergraduate degree in mathematics, economics, physics, government and politics from Harrow School.
46. George Azih
Firm: FinQuery
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
George Azih is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FinQuery, formerly LeaseQuery, which helps over 36,000 professionals optimize decisions in leases and recurring vendor contracts. The company's AI-driven software minimizes risk, boosts efficiency, and reduces costs. Azih is an expert in lease accounting, with a focus on technical accounting and accounting research.
Prior to founding FinQuery, Azih performed accounting research for a Fortune 500 company, and served as an auditor for banks, insurance companies, and brokerage firms. Azih graduated from The University of Georgia with an undergraduate degree in accounting.
47. Everett Cook
Firm: Rho
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Everett Cook is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Rho, an all-in-one financial platform that combines card, payments, and banking products with software to help companies manage expenses, AP, banking, treasury, and month-end close more efficiently.
Cook brings 18 years of experience to his current role and first got his start in 2006 in investment banking at Deutsche Bank. From there, he went on to Prosium Fund Management, before eventually rising to senior analyst at Atreaus Capital Management, his most recent position prior to joining Rho. Cook graduated from Vanderbilt University with an undergraduate degree in international economics.
48. Sina Chehrazi
Firm: Nayya
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Sina Chehrazi is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nayya, a company founded in 2019 with a mission to help employees make smarter decisions about their benefits, regardless of employer, insurance provider, or life stage.
Chehrazi brings 15 years of experience to his current role and first got his start as a Founder at Zeeba Investment Group. From there, he went on to Demyst, before working in strategic partnerships at Enigma Technologies, his most recent position prior to joining Nayya. Chehrazi graduated from Georgetown University Law Center with a JD in law and from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business with an undergraduate degree in international business.
49. Jesse Burgess
Firm: OnPay
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Jesse Burgess is the Chief Executive Officer of OnPay, a software company that provides small businesses and accountants with cloud-based payroll services. With over 30 years of experience as a payroll service provider, OnPay caters to businesses with anywhere from three to 1,000 employees. The company also serves specialized industries, including nonprofits, restaurants, religious organizations, and agricultural businesses.
Burgess brings 17 years of experience to his current role. Before joining OnPay, Burgess served as President and COO at Payroll Center.
50. Orlando Zayas
Firm: Katapult
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Orlando Zayas is the Chief Executive Officer of Katapult, a point-of-sale payment platform providing alternative purchase solutions for retailers and consumers. Katapult’s technology integrates with online platforms, helping retail partners expand their customer base, increase sales, and grow revenue.
Prior to joining Katapult, Zayas was the Chief Executive Officer of DRB Capital. Prior to that, he served as President of TEMPOE. Zayas holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston and an MBA from the University of Texas.
