finleap connect, the leading independent Open Banking platform in Europe, welcomes new members to its Management Team, following the previous recent announcement of its first-ever acquisition of the second largest Open Banking company in the Iberian market, MyValue Solutions.
In order to further accelerate its international growth, finleap connect expands its C-Level management to six members from a previous total of four. Katja Hunstock, previously Head of Business Unit Open Banking at finleap connect, is named Chief Product Officer; Uwe Sandner, previously General Manager Customer Interactions at finleap connect, is named Chief Technology Officer; Ignacio Garcia, currently General Manager Spain at finleap connect, is named Chief Strategy Officer. Chief Financial Officer and Managing Director, Patrick Dittmer, and General Manager Financial Transactions & Insights, Empre Impraimoglu, leave finleap connect upon their own request as of July 31st, 2021 respectively.
“I would like to thank both Patrick and Empre for their work and impact on the development of our company as long-standing members of finleap connect’s Management Team. Both were instrumental in shaping our steps towards becoming the leading independent Open Banking platform in Europe. I am now very pleased to welcome Katja Hunstock into our Management Team as Chief Product Officer, and I would like to congratulate Uwe Sandner and Ignacio Garcia on their new roles as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, respectively,” says finleap connect CEO Frank Kebsch. “finleap connect finds itself in a transformation phase due to our growth-oriented strategy. In sharpening the focus of our management structure, we are well on our way to do so”, Kebsch summarizes.
As Chief Product Officer, Portugal native Katja Hunstock leads finleap connect’s new Product Organization team. She will carry the responsibility of defining and leading product strategy and vision in order to realize the international growth plans of its Open Banking platform. In her previous role as the Head of Business Unit Open Banking at finleap connect, Katja drove the company’s technology-based innovation and development, in particular further development of its Open Banking products, finleap connect’s core product line. Prior to joining finleap connect in 2019, Katja worked as Senior Destination Manager Portugal for GetYourGuide, and before that as Director of Partnership Management in international product operations at Delivery Hero.
As Chief Strategy Officer, Ignacio Garcia oversees finleap connect’s new area of Strategy and Finance, under which the company’s expansion and growth plans fall. Ignacio originally joined Europe’s leading fintech ecosystem finleap as Head of Spain in March 2019. Ignacio then moved to finleap connect upon its founding in August 2019 as General Manager Spain. Ignacio is a serial entrepreneur and executive, with extensive experience in the fintech and insurtech industries. Before joining finleap, he held leadership roles in companies like iZettle, Holvi, BBVA and Zurich Santander. Ignacio will also keep his previous position and lead finleap connect’s Madrid office as General Manager Spain in addition to his new position at finleap connect.
As Chief Technology Officer, Uwe Sandner leads finleap connect’s Tech and Engineering Organization, and will be responsible for driving the company’s technology vision. Before joining finleap connect in 2020, Uwe was Digital Expert Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, as well as Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer of Ströer Mobile prior to that. In his role as General Manager Customer Interactions, Uwe oversaw the commercial and tech activities of finleap connect’s Customer Interactions’ white-label products, including the Account Switch Kit and Digital Bank solutions.
The finleap connect Management Team now consists of Frank Kebsch (CEO & MD), Andreas Reuß (CCO & MD), Dr. Lea Maria Siering (CRO), Katja Hunstock (CPO), Uwe Sandner (CTO), Ignacio Garcia (CSO), Marco Berini (GM Italy) and Nicolas Montes-Edwards (GM France).