The Financial Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Financial Technology COOs of 2023. In a span of only twenty years, fintech, a blend of finance and technology, has rapidly emerged and transformed the financial services sector as we recognize it. This vibrant industry has been propelled by a series of groundbreaking innovations that have defined a generation, with each advancement appearing more revolutionary than its predecessor. Consequently, never has the role of Chief Operating Officer been more necessary for fintechs hoping to make it in this ultra-competitive landscape. Today's fintech COOs play crucial roles in a wide range of areas for their companies, which includes overseeing and optimizing the company's day-to-day operations, providing strategic guidance and direction, identifying opportunities for growth, and even acting as a stabilizing force during times of uncertainty, among others. Demonstrating exceptional track records and no shortage of industry respect, the COOs featured on this year's list represent many of today's most successful leaders in the fintech space.
Among the accomplished men and women featured on this year's list, we have Stacy Greiner, the COO for DailyPay. After holding numerous senior executive roles at companies like Cisco, IBM, and Accenture, Greiner is now committed to revolutionizing the financial system through expanding the reach of DailyPay's innovative technology platform. Meanwhile, Arnon Kraft, the COO of Payoneer, is no stranger to playing for big stakes. He previously worked for Microsoft’s Devices division as the General Manager for Strategic Partnerships & Sourcing, where he managed a multi-billion-dollar business; and served as an executive member of the product launch teams for Xbox, Surface, HoloLens, and Lumia Phones. Additionally, we have Rob Orgel, who currently serves as the President and COO for Flywire. Orgel brings more than 20 years of experience, including nearly a decade at Apple, where he played a pivotal role in the launch of Apple Pay and Apple Card.
Please join us in celebrating the achievements of the Top 25 Financial Technology COOs of 2023.
1. Javier Arranz
Company: BBVA
Title: Chief Operations Officer
Javier Arranz is the Chief Operations Officer of BBVA, a Spanish multinational financial services company based in Madrid and Bilbao, Spain. Firmly focused on the future, BBVA’s on-going digital transformation is already producing disruptive innovations around the globe. Every one of its 112,465 employees – from branch staff to senior leaders – play an essential role in giving the company’s 85 million customers the cutting-edge banking solutions that they deserve.
Arranz first joined the company in 1997, beginning his tenure as a telemarketing specialist. In addition to his current COO role, he is a member of the Management Committee, making him responsible for the departments of Engineering, Security, Account Control Unit, Middle Office, and General Services. Arranz holds an MBA in international business, trade and commerce. He also received an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance from the Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea.
2. Arun Sharma
Company: Fiserv
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Arun Sharma is the Chief Operating Officer of Fiserv. Sharma is a senior technology executive with over 28 years multinational experience in the banking and financial services industry, including capital markets, investment banking, retail, commercial, private and international banking. During his lengthy career, he’s managed global teams spread across Europe, Asia, and the US.
Fiserv, Inc. is a leading global technology provider serving the financial services industry. It is best known for driving innovation in payments, processing services, risk and compliance, customer and channel management, and business insights and optimization.
Before joining Fiserv, Sharma was at Barclays, where he served as global head of Run the Bank, Global Technology Infrastructure Services. He also managed the GTIS and Chief Security Officer organizations for APAC & India. Prior to that, Sharma was the Global Head of shared Application Production Services at Bank of America. Earlier in his career, he worked with Merrill Lynch as a director.
3. Josh Mayer
Company: Envestnet
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Josh Mayer is the Chief Operating Officer of Envestnet. In this role, he is responsible for supporting the operations, technology, and data infrastructure needs for his company. This includes overseeing Envestnet’s premier data utility that expands the depth, quality, and value of data across their organization.
Notably, Envestnet is transforming the way financial advice is delivered through an ecosystem of technology, solutions, and intelligence. By establishing the connections between people's daily financial decisions and long-term financial goals, Envestnet empowers customers to make better sense of their finances – and live an Intelligent Financial Life™.
Prior to being appointed Chief Operating Officer, Mayer served as Envestnet’s Executive Vice President and Director of Operations. Before that, he was a Senior Vice President, Head of Operations. Mayer also served as the Director of Operations for Oberon Financial Technology, which was acquired by Envestnet in 2004. Mayer holds a bachelor’s from Georgetown University.
4. Mohit Gopal
Company: PayU
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Mohit Gopal began his professional career 28 years ago. Today, he is the Chief Operating Officer of PayU. Operating in over 50 countries, PayU is a leader in the global payments space. They successfully bridge the global and local gap by supplying ultimate global payment coverage with extensive local expertise and support.
Gopal first got his start in 1995 as a second officer at P&O. From there, he went on to International Finance Corporation, before eventually rising to independent consultant at Metalogos, his most recent position prior to joining PayU. Gopal graduated from National Law School of India University with a master's in business law.
5. Arnon Kraft
Company: Payoneer
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Arnon Kraft is the Chief Operating Officer of Payoneer Inc. Kraft is a business and operations executive with over 20 years of top level experience at Fortune 500 companies and various startups. At Payoneer, Kraft is responsible for overseeing, maintaining, and driving execution of his company’s global services. Working closely with the business, Kraft also oversees onboarding of new customers and partners, program management, all operations functions – as well as the company's operational effectiveness and efficiency initiatives.
Previously, Kraft worked for Microsoft’s Devices division as the General Manager for Strategic Partnerships & Sourcing. In this role, he managed a multi-billion-dollar business; and built strategic partnerships with C-level executives at top companies. It is worthy to note that he was also an executive member of the product launch teams for Xbox, Surface, HoloLens, and Lumia Phones.
Prior to Microsoft, Kraft held a wide variety of executive level positions in various consumer electronics companies, including SanDisk, modu mobile, and msystems. Today, on top of his COO duties, Kraft serves as an active advisory board member for start-up companies – where he works with CEOS and COOs to scale up their growing businesses. He holds an MBA from the Tel-Aviv University and a BSc in Industrial Engineering from The Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.
Arnon Kraft’s Insight
"Payoneer makes it easy for high growth businesses, particularly those in emerging markets, to succeed in the global digital economy. By serving every industry and every geography with secure financial services and tools, customers across nearly 200 countries and territories use Payoneer to scale their business globally and better manage cross-border transactions in their choice of over 150 currencies."
6. Nicholas Calcanes
Company: Co-op Solutions
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Nicholas Calcanes is the current COO at CO-OP Financial Services. Calcanes has previously worked as the Chief Information Officer at Fiserv and Ally Financial Inc. Calcanes has experience in leading technology teams that support businesses in fields such as Capital Markets, Commercial Finance, Treasury, Risk, Compliance, Finance, Audit, Human Resources, Legal, Procurement and Facilities.
Co-op Solutions partners with credit unions to drive growth through integrated payments technology solutions. The company helps credit unions deliver member-centric and digital-first services designed to improve earnings, operational efficiencies, and the member experience.
In his previous role at Ally Financial Inc., Calcanes helped develop corporate data management strategies and analytics. During this time, he achieved a 35% overall structural cost reduction. Calcanes has also delivered compliance technology that met regulatory demand for AML monitoring in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, he oversaw the closure of over 100 Audit, FDIC, and FRB commitments for compliance. Calcanes has a bachelor's in Economics and Government from West Virginia Wesleyan College.
7. Nicole Nakashian
Company: InvestCloud
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Nicole Nakashian began his professional career 25 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Operating Officer of InvestCloud. InvestCloud is transforming the financial industry's approach to digital solutions. It is a singular, no-code software platform for digital and commerce enablement within the financial industry. With its cloud-native, multi-tenanted platform, it is changing the approach to digital for the world’s largest banks, wealth managers, and asset managers – empowering them to leverage decades of technology debt.
Nakashian first got her start in 1998 as a VP at BlackRock Financial. From there, she went on to Andor Capital Management, before eventually rising to CIO at Conifer Financial Services, her most recent position prior to joining InvestCloud. Nakashian graduated from LIU Post with an MBA in management. She also graduated from the University at Albany, SUNY with an undergraduate degree in communication.
8. Vikas Dua
Company: Ocrolus
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Vikas Dua serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Ocrolus, where he leads a global team of operations specialists. Under his leadership, the team ensures that the analysis of millions of transactions per day is conducted with industry-leading speed, accuracy, and efficiency.
Notably, Ocrolus is a document automation platform that plays a vital role in the digital lending ecosystem. By automating credit decisions across small business, mortgage, and consumer lending, Ocrolus enables financial institutions to make efficient and informed decisions.
Prior to his role at Ocrolus, Dua held the position of Director of Special Operations at Handy HQ. He also gained valuable experience in private equity consultancy at AEG and McKinsey & Company, where he worked closely with numerous companies. Dua holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. In addition, he received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Vikas Dua Insight
“Ocrolus is unique among financial document automation companies because our operations include both automation and a human element to deliver the precise data lenders need to make decisions. In addition to an industry-leading AI and machine learning technology set, our human-in-the-loop verification process is incredibly progressive. We oversee hundreds of data labelers who are incentivized via a proprietary compensation model allowing us to ensure best-in-class accuracy. I am proud of the efficiencies and technological innovations we’ve made to support faster, more accurate lending decisions, and look forward to further expanding our document automation and analytics capabilities for customers across the lending industry.”
9. Craig Boundy
Company: Experian North America
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Craig Boundy is Chief Executive Officer of Experian North America, a $2.4 billion company based in Costa Mesa, California. Boundy is responsible for all Experian North America business lines. This includes Credit Services and Decision Analytics, Consumer Services, Vertical Markets (Automotive, Health and Public Sector) and Marketing Services. He also serves as leader of Experian’s Consumer Services business globally.
His company is a leading global information services provider. They help individuals take financial control and access financial services. They help businesses make smarter decisions and thrive. They also help lenders to lend more responsibly – and organizations to prevent identity fraud and crime.
Boundy previously served as Managing Director of Experian UK and Ireland. Before this he was Chief Executive, Global Operations at Logica; then Chief Executive Officer at Logica the UK; and before that Chief Operating Officer at Cable & Wireless Europe, Asia & US. Earlier in his career, he served as the Chief Operating Officer at Energis. In this role, he managed the company's financial performance and core operational processes. He moved into this position from the role of Sales Director, where he succesfully led the company's sales force in the UK and Ireland. Boundy also spent six years at British Telecom, working in a range of finance, marketing and product management roles. He studied at Lancaster University.
10. Nino Maisuradze
Company: Ingenico ePayments
Title: Chief Operating Officer of North America Region,
Nino Maisuradze is the Chief Operating Officer of North America Region at Ingenico ePayments, a global leader in payments acceptance solutions. Joining the company in 2014 as manager FP&A, Maisuradze has played a pivotal role in its growth and success.
With over three decades of experience, Ingenico ePayments is known for its expertise in payments acceptance. As the trusted technology partner for various stakeholders in the payment industry, including merchants, banks, acquirers, ISVs, and fintech customers, the company provides world-class terminals, solutions, and services that enable seamless payments globally.
Prior to her role at Ingenico, Maisuradze held positions as a senior financial analyst at Aptean and as a senior group controller at ista International.
11. Marcelo Moreira
Company: Matera
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Marcelo Moreira is the Chief Operating Officer of Matera, a leading technology provider specializing in instant payment, QR code payment, and core banking solutions for financial institutions. With over 250 global banks, credit unions, and digital banks utilizing Matera's technology, including top-tier global banks and a significant presence in Brazil, Moreira's role is crucial in overseeing the company's operations.
Previously, Moreira held positions as a customer success director at Technisys and a managing director at Accenture, gaining extensive experience in the technology and financial sectors. Joining Matera in 2022, he has been instrumental in driving the implementation of their innovative solutions. Moreira graduated from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro.
12. Rob Orgel
Company: Flywire
Title: President and Chief Operating Officer
Rob Orgel serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Flywire, where he oversees the global payment network, business operations, finance, legal, compliance, and corporate strategy functions. With over 20 years of experience in the payments and receivables ecosystem, Orgel brings a wealth of knowledge to his role at Flywire. His areas of expertise include: legal, compliance, finance, go-to-market strategies, business development, and global operations.
Flywire is a leading global payments enablement and software company that is dedicated to simplifying the world's most critical and intricate payments. They have successfully digitized payments for over 3,300 clients across various industries, including education, healthcare, travel, and B2B. Operating in more than 240 countries and territories, Flywire supports over 140 currencies.
Before joining Flywire, Orgel spent nearly a decade at Apple, where he played a pivotal role in the development, launch, and growth of Apple Pay. He also contributed to the successful launch of the Apple Card. Prior to that, Orgel served as the Chief Operating Officer at Quattro Wireless, which was later acquired by Apple. He has also held significant leadership positions at m-Qube, a pioneering carrier billing and payment platform acquired by Verisign; and edocs, a leading e-billing and payment solution acquired by Siebel (subsequently acquired by Oracle). Orgel's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in International Relations from Stanford University. He also holds a JD from Harvard Law School.
13. Joseph Heck
Company: Happy Money
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Joseph Heck currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Happy Money, a financial technology company that prioritizes a people-first lending experience in collaboration with credit unions and community-focused financial institutions. Happy Money utilizes automation and proprietary underwriting models to provide borrowers with flexible rates and payment plans tailored to their individual financial situations.
Before joining Happy Money, Heck accumulated 15 years of experience at CUNA Mutual Group, where he held various positions. In his most recent role, he led product innovation as part of the Transformation program, focusing on digital lending, a loan participation network, and other initiatives aimed at supporting the digital transformation of financial institutions. Additionally, Heck advised CMFG Ventures in evaluating FinTech partnerships specific to the Credit Union industry.
Prior to his tenure at CUNA Mutual Group, Heck worked at a Credit Union for four years, where he successfully implemented and managed their indirect lending and financial planning programs. He holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Business and a bachelor's degree in finance from Michigan State University.
14. Lynette Wong
Company: Kyriba
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Lynette Wong is the Chief Operating Officer of Kyriba, a company that enables CFOs and their teams to transform liquidity management for growth and value creation, while mitigating financial risk. Kyriba's innovative Active Liquidity Network connects internal treasury applications with external sources – such as banks and trading platforms – through a secure and scalable SaaS platform. By leveraging Kyriba's solutions, thousands of companies worldwide can optimize growth opportunities, mitigate fraud and financial risk, and achieve cost savings through advanced automation.
Wong began her professional career in 1985 as a Chief Executive Officer at Weir Minerals. She holds an undergraduate degree in international business from the University of Sydney.
15. Erin Brown
Company: Galaxy
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Erin Brown serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Galaxy, a technology-driven financial services and investment management firm specializing in digital assets. Since joining the company in 2021, Brown has played a crucial role in overseeing the operations and strategic initiatives of Galaxy.
Galaxy Digital operates across five key business lines, including Trading, Asset Management, Principal Investments, Investment Banking, and Mining. It provides a comprehensive suite of financial solutions to institutional clients and direct customers within the digital assets ecosystem. Headquartered in New York City, Galaxy Digital has a global presence with offices in various locations, including Chicago, San Francisco, London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands, and New Jersey.
Prior to her role at Galaxy, Brown held the position of Chief Risk Officer at Jump Trading LLC. She also previously served as the Head of Global Treasury and Operations at DRW. Earlier in her career, she gained valuable experience as a Treasury Analyst of Global Energy and Credit at Citadel LLC. Brown holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting and Finance from DePaul University.
16. Tim Newell
Company: Aspiration
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Tim Newell serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Aspiration, a financial technology company providing climate-friendly financial products to consumers and companies. Notably, Newell joined the company in 2022, beginning his tenure as Chief Innovation Officer.
Aspiration is in the business of fighting the climate crisis. It helps people and businesses build sustainable impact by building sustainability into financial products that are easy, automated, and powerful. This includes helping people spend, save, and invest their money, or helping businesses engage their customers and employees.
Newell is a veteran of investing in and building businesses at the intersection of finance, technology and sustainability. Prior to joining Aspiration, Newell was Co-founder/CEO of Common Assets, providing consumers with sustainable investment products, then went on to lead the financial products team for SolarCity, as well as leading the financial products team for Tesla. Prior to his private sector career, Newell served in various roles in the U.S. government, including Congressional and White House staff positions. In 1982, Newell graduated from Brown University with an undergraduate degree in economics.
Tim Newell Insight
“In 2023, the challenge for all Fintechs has been to redefine and rebuild their operating models for a very different financial environment. Over the last few quarters, our focus - our obsession - at Aspiration has been to continue meeting consumers’ growing desire for climate-friendly financial services while delivering positive operating results.”
17. Stacy Greiner
Company: DailyPay
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Stacy Greiner holds the position of Chief Operating Officer at DailyPay, a leading on-demand pay provider. In her role, Greiner oversees both external and internal operations, driving the company's growth and fostering an inclusive culture. She is responsible for ensuring exceptional service and experiences for DailyPay's partners, clients, and customers.
DailyPay is committed to revolutionizing the financial system through its innovative technology platform. By offering modern pay strategies and on-demand pay solutions, DailyPay helps employers activate their workforce, enhance employee engagement, and promote longer-term retention.
Prior to joining DailyPay, Greiner served as the General Manager of Dun & Bradstreet's Sales and Marketing Solutions division, where she held profit and loss responsibilities. With a diverse background in senior executive roles at companies like Cisco, IBM, and Accenture, she has led global teams in areas such as product development, marketing, engineering, and data analytics. Greiner's educational background includes a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management. Additionally, she serves on the board of Proto Labs, Inc.; and is a member of its Audit Committee.
18. TJ Milani
Company: Figure
Title: Chief Operating Officer
TJ Milani is the Chief Operating Officer at Figure. He joined in 2018 as Head of Product & Finance and later became the Chief Financial Officer and Head of Marketplace. Figure uses the proven power of the Provenance Blockchain for loan origination, equity management, private fund services, banking and payments—transforming the trillion dollar financial services industry. Figure has over 500 employees across the US–with headquarters in SF and NYC.
Before joining Figure, Milani was the Director of New Products and Strategy at SoFo. In this role, Milani was responsible for SoFi's new products, as well as their domestic and international expansion efforts. Prior to working at SoFi, Milani worked as an Associate at Apollo Global Management LLC; and as an Investment Banking Analyst at Sandler O'Neill & Partners, L.P. In this role, Milani advised on a number of notable transactions, including the sale of KFN to KKR & Co.
20. Matt Stapleton
Company: Spiff
Title: Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Matt Stapleton, with 13 years of professional experience, is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Spiff. Spiff specializes in automating and optimizing commission plans while motivating commissioned sales representatives. The company aims to alleviate the challenges faced by finance teams in managing commissions, reduce friction between finance and sales departments, and enhance sales performance.
Before joining Spiff, Stapleton led the Shareworks Startup team at Morgan Stanley. In 2011, he co-founded Capshare and held the positions of COO and CFO until the company's acquisition by Solium, Inc. in 2017. Stapleton began his career as a business plan analyst at Funding Universe in 2010. He later worked at Scalar Analytics. Stapleton obtained his undergraduate degree in business management and entrepreneurship from Brigham Young University.
21. Wayne Young
Company: Genesis Financial Solutions
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Wayne Young is the Chief Operating Officer of Genesis Financial Solutions. In this role, Young is responsible for the strategy and execution of IT, Operations, and Human Resources. It is worthy to note that he has more than 25 years of leadership experience, including domestic and international positions. Moreover, he has spent 15 years in the financial industry.
Genesis Financial Solutions is the leading provider of non-prime consumer financing solutions with over 2.5 million customers, 200,000 new cardholders monthly, and 1,000 team members. The company provides advanced financing technologies – and respectful service for non-prime consumers – through its merchant and direct-to-consumer credit card programs.
Young first got his start in 1992 as a branch operations manager at First Technology Credit Union. From there, he went on to Columbia Sportswear Company, before eventually rising to COO and CHRO at Hanna Andersson, his most recent position prior to joining Genesis Financial Solutions. Young earned his B.S. in Sociology from Portland State University.
22. Dmitry Polenov
Company: Diasoft
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Dmitry Polenov is the Chief Operating Officer of Diasoft. He is a seasoned financial executive with expertise in business process restructuring, IT systems design and implementation, financial and management reporting, and audit.
Since 1991, Diasoft has provided innovative software solutions to the global financial services industry. They specialize in digital transformation and process optimization, offering cutting-edge Digital Solutions and Transformation Services to banks and financial institutions in EMEA and Asia Pacific.
Before joining Diasoft, Polenov served as CFO at Sitronics Telecom Solutions. Earlier, he worked as corporate reporting director at JSC SITRONICS, MECHEL and VimpelCom. He began his career as a corporate financial analyst at Best Ceramics, CJSC.
23. Connor Hanan
Company: Software Group
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Connor Hanan is the Chief Operations Officer at Software Group, where he is responsible for overseeing the company's global operations. With over 12 years of experience in financial service providers, client-focused product design, and market analysis, Hanan has successfully established operations, small businesses, and partnerships across 35 markets in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Previously, Hanan served as Software Group's CEO for Africa and the Middle East, where he managed regional operations, sales, and teams in Kenya, Ghana, and Egypt, comprising nearly 100 employees. Prior to joining Software Group, he held senior positions in Investor/Client Relations and Program/Project management; and served as a Director of operations with a focus on strategic organizational development. Hanan also worked as an associate director of operations at Habitat for Humanity International - Europe, Middle East, and Africa and as an assistant to the head of production at Napa Valley On Demand Printing.
Hanan holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, and an undergraduate degree in social science and liberal arts from Colorado State University.
24. Arthur Gots
Company: Ecommpay
Title: Chief Operational Officer
Arthur Gots serves as the Chief Operational Officer at Ecommpay. With over 12 years of experience in the industry, Gots joined the company in 2012 as an account manager and progressed to senior account manager. He later took on the role of Head of Customer Service and subsequently served as the Head of Operation and Customer Service Department before assuming his current position.
Ecommpay is a payment service provider and direct bank card acquirer. The company specializes in developing customized data-driven technologies for e-commerce clients – enabling them to process online payments worldwide. Ecommpay's payment gateway offers a seamless integration of acquiring capabilities, over 100 payment methods, mass payouts, and technological innovations to facilitate an omnichannel payment process.
Prior to joining Ecommpay, Gots worked as an account manager at GE Money Bank. He also spent time as an IT specialist at AS Ventbunkers. He graduated from Latvijas Universitate.
25. Jevon Price
Company: Forge
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Jevon Price is the Chief Operating Officer of Forge, a leading provider of marketplace infrastructure, data services, and technology solutions for private market participants. He initially joined the company in 2021 as the Managing Director and Head of Operations. Forge Securities, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA, operates an alternative trading system.
With over 15 years of experience, Price is an analytical and bottom-line-driven Business Manager. He has a track record of improving operational procedures and leading high-performing teams. Price leverages his cross-functional expertise in Human Resources, Accounting, and Facilities Planning and Management to drive profitability by minimizing risk and cost.
Before joining Forge, Price held positions as the Managing Director, Head of Operations, and Shareholder Services at SharesPost. Prior to that, he served as a VP and Administrative Manager at Merrill Lynch. Earlier in his career, he worked with Esprit as an Assistant Receiving Manager. Price holds an MBA in Finance from Golden Gate University and an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
