Proven Leaders in Technology and Transformation
Welcome, everyone, to our discussion on “Proven Leaders in Technology and Transformation.” Today, we are privileged to explore the journeys and insights of remarkable leaders shaping the tech landscape. From David Singleton at Stripe, who brings over 20 years of experience in technology and a commitment to financial infrastructure, to Michael Bettes of Tata Consultancy Services, whose expertise in IT delivery has driven organizational success, each speaker embodies the spirit of innovation and excellence.
Gurbhej Dhillon from Flutterwave demonstrates how technology connects Africa to the global economy, while Rutul Dave at Maxwell Financial Labs is revolutionizing the mortgage industry with cutting-edge solutions. We also have insights from Vladyslav Yatsenko of Revolut, a key player in fintech, and Tom Adams, who will steer Adyen’s strategic vision. Jeremy Rishel at SoFi and Matej Pfajfar from Monzo Bank represent the dynamic fusion of technology and finance. Finally, Michael Lewis at TIFIIN AMP and Carlos Cruz at Ontop highlight the power of AI and remote work solutions in today’s world. Together, we will delve into their strategies, challenges, and the transformative impact they are making in their respective fields.
Top 10 CTOs Of The Fintech Industry
David Singleton, Stripe
David Singleton is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Stripe. A graduate of the University of Cambridge, Singleton began his career as a Senior Technical Consultant for Symbian. Then, after almost four years in the role, Singleton moved to Google, first as a Software Engineer, in 2006. Rising through the ranks, Singleton held the positions of Technical Lead, Engineering Manager, and Engineering Director, before becoming Google’s VP of Engineering in 2015, before leaving at the end of 2017 to take the role of CTO at Stripe. With over 11 years at Google, Stripe has over 20 years of technology and information experience at its disposal in Singleton, as it looks to expand its services as a financial infrastructure platform for businesses.
Michael Bettes ,Tata Consultancy Services
With over 16 years of senior management experience, Michael stands out as a highly skilled CTO renowned for his expertise in IT portfolio, programme, and project delivery. His exceptional leadership capabilities have enabled him to build and motivate diverse teams, driving organizational success through effective change management and operational efficiencies.
Michael’s extensive career began in the RAF, where he honed his skills in aircraft electrical engineering, IT management, and quality assurance. His background not only reflects a commitment to excellence but also showcases his ability to lead in high-stakes environments. Michael is not just a technologist; he is a visionary leader who inspires teams to innovate and excel, making him the ideal choice for any organization looking to navigate the complexities of today’s technological landscape.
Gurbhej Dhillon, Flutterwave
Since June 2022, Gurbhej Dhillon has been the Chief Technology Officer of Flutterwave. As CTO, he is responsible for further development of Flutterwave’s innovative technology platform, which currently partners with major players like VISA, Mastercard, Discover Card Networks, Uber, Booking.com, and Flywire, among others. Flutterwave is a payments infrastructure company connecting Africa to the global economy. Founded in 2016 by African finance and technology veterans, Flutterwave has become one of the fastest growing payments companies globally.
It enables businesses and banks to provide seamless and secure payment experiences. Earlier Dhillon worked at Goldman Sachs, where he was the CTO and Head of Lending Engineering. Prior to that, he served as CTO for Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Capital Markets team. Dhillon is a great supporter of the Developer Community in Africa and admires the work they have done in recent times, building creative solutions at a world-class standard. He graduated from Stony Brook University with an undergraduate degree in computer science.
Rutul Dave, Maxwell Financial Labs
Rutul Dave is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Maxwell Financial Labs. Maxwell provides the technology infrastructure to America’s mortgage lenders–delivering a state-of-the-art experience for borrowers, eliminating costs, offsetting variability and risk, and increasing access to more diverse capital. As Maxwell’s CTO, Dave spearheads the development of solutions that serves over 300 lending institutions; and has helped process over $222 billion of loan volume working with over 720,000 borrowers.
In a career spanning over 22 years, Dave has worked in software engineering, product management, and marketing at various successful bay-area startups and venture-backed private companies including Coverity, which was acquired by Synopsys; Omneon, which was acquired by Harmonic; Topspin, which was acquired by Cisco; and Procket Networks, which was acquired by Cisco. Previously, he also launched Bright Funds. Currently, Dave serves on the board of Lemontree Foods, a nonprofit with a mission to alleviate food insecurity in the U.S. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a master’s in computer science.
Vladyslav Y., Revolut
He is a British-Ukrainian software engineer and co-founder of the fintech company Revolut, the most valuable fintech company in the U.K., worth $45 billion. Yatsenko was born to Ukrainian parents in East Germany. He currently serves as CTO at Revolut. Prior, to co-founding Revolut, he had worked as a software engineer for UBS, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Sabre Corporation and Comarch. In 2022, Yatsenko’s net worth was estimated to be 1.1 billion US dollars.
Tom Adams, Adyen
Adams will join Adyen from Cash App, a consumer business vertical of Block, where he served as Head of Engineering for four years. In the role as CTO at Adyen, Adams will oversee the strategic and technological vision of Adyen’s single platform which encompasses payments, data and financial products. Adams’ appointment has been approved by the Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank) and is subject to approval by shareholders at an upcoming EGM – a convening notice for which will be sent out in the coming period.
Jeremy Rishel, SoFi
Jeremy Rishel, the Chief Technology Officer at SoFi, brings a unique blend of technical expertise and leadership experience to the company. Before joining SoFi, he served as VP of Engineering at Bluefin Labs, where he honed his skills in managing complex engineering projects. Rishel’s academic background includes dual degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy from MIT, providing him with a strong analytical foundation.
Additionally, his seven years of service in the US Marine Corps, where he left active duty as a Captain, have instilled in him a disciplined and strategic approach to leadership. At SoFi, Rishel is instrumental in driving technological innovation and ensuring the company’s infrastructure supports its diverse range of financial products and services.
Matej Pfajfar, Monzo Bank
Matej Pfajfar started their career as a Software Engineer at Comtrade in 2001. Matej then joined Adacta in 2002 and held various roles, including Senior Engineer and Project Manager. At Adacta, Matej was responsible for successfully delivering implementations of products for the Financial Services Industry. Matej also played a key role in the development of Adacta’s asset & liability management solution and core insurance system. In 2018, Matej joined Google as an Engineering Director and later became a Senior Engineering Director. In February 2023, they transitioned to the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Monzo Bank.
Michael Lewis, AMP
Michael Lewis is the Chief Technology Officer at TIFIIN AMP. He joined TIFIIN AMP as a Director of Machine Learning and AI in 2021. Since then, Lewis has been instrumental in building the foundation of the AI-driven distribution platform, TIFIIN AMP. In his current role as CTO, he leads a dedicated team that seamlessly integrates AI into their clients’ operations–accelerating growth through intelligence-driven marketing and sales optimization. TIFIIN AMP is an AI and innovation platform for wealth. It manages Magnifi, a consumer-focused marketplace that delivers investment personalization through next-gen intelligence and an AI investing assistant.
Lewis’s academic background in Systems Engineering and a diverse professional trajectory — ranging from economic consulting to pivotal roles in AI-centric startups — has collectively fortified his commitment to propel the financial technology frontier. His distinctive aptitude for crafting and managing complex algorithms is matched by his visionary zeal for implementing conversational AI in an array of firm initiatives. Lewis graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor’s in system science and engineering.
Carlos Cruz, Ontop
Carlos Cruz is the Chief Technology Officer of Ontop. He joined the company in 2021 as VP of technology. Ontop, founded in 2020, aims to democratize access to growth opportunities for businesses and professionals globally. Its mission is to reshape how people and companies relate to each other. An ideal solution for businesses looking to hire remote workers, the company provides a world-class, effortless, and cost-savvy solution to onboard, manage, and pay global teams in seconds. Before Ontop, Cruz served as CTO at Pagaloop and Yave.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a software engineer at Ficachi y Asociados, S.C. In terms of education, Cruz holds an MBA from EGADE Business School del Tecnológico de Monterrey. He also received an undergraduate degree in information technology and business from Tecnológico de Monterrey.
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