Financial technology
10 banking-as-a-service partnership experts
These ten professionals have held roles in which banking-as-a-service partnerships between banks and fintechs were part of their own work. Readers can learn how banks and fintechs choose each other, structure BaaS programs and keep oversight in place as those programs grow.
Professionals to explore
01—10Bernnardo Douat
LinkedInExperience: Head of BaaS · Itau BBA
Head of BaaS at Itau BBA since 2022. The profile says he leads the expansion of Banking as a Service at Itaú, building strategic partnerships and scaling financial products for corporate clients and fintechs; he was previously Product Architect Manager at Neon (2020–2022) and Business Dev - Tech Companies and Payments at Itau BBA (2019–2020).
Brett Handy
LinkedInExperience: Head of Partner Success BaaS · CommerceOne Bank
Head of Partner Success BaaS at CommerceOne Bank since 2026, after serving as Banking Relationships Lead at Block (2025–2026). He was earlier Head Of Fintech Partnerships & Business Development at Hatch Bank (2022–2025) and VP - Risk and Relationship Management - Strategic Partners at WebBank (2017–2022).
David Robinson
LinkedInExperience: Director of Fintech & Embedded Banking · Academy Bank
Director of Fintech & Embedded Banking at Academy Bank since 2022, after serving at UMB Bank as National Sales Director - Fintech Partnerships (2021–2022). The profile describes him as a program owner working across embedded finance, sponsor bank models and banking-as-a-service, helping fintechs and banks scale compliant payments.
Janice Siew
LinkedInExperience: Head, Banking as a Service (BaaS) · Standard Chartered
Head, Banking as a Service (BaaS) at Standard Chartered since 2024, alongside the role of Head, Digital Partnerships there since 2022. She was previously General Manager, Product Management at Boost (2016–2022) and Head, Business Intelligence and Campaign Management at Hong Leong Bank Berhad (2015–2016).
Kathryn B.
LinkedInExperience: Head of Strategic Projects and Partnerships, Cards BaaS · Cross River
Former Head of Strategic Projects and Partnerships, Cards BaaS at Cross River (2022–2023), after serving there as Senior Relationship Manager, Channel Partnerships (2022) and Channel Partners Relationship Manager (2021–2022). She has been Director, Digital Partnerships at Mastercard since 2023, and the profile cites over 18 years in financial services focused on fintech banking, commercial banking and treasury.
Lauren M.
LinkedInExperience: Director, BaaS · Grasshopper Bank
Former Director, BaaS at Grasshopper Bank (2021–2024), and SVP, Head of Embedded Finance there since 2024. Her other Grasshopper Bank roles include Director, Early Stage and VC PE (2020–2021), and the profile headline lists digital banking, BaaS and fintech as her focus areas.
Maya Fuentes
LinkedInExperience: VP of Strategic Partnerships · Herring Bank
VP of Strategic Partnerships at Herring Bank since 2026. The profile headline describes her focus as sponsor bank and embedded finance alliances and scaling BaaS, card issuing and payments partnerships, and says the role owns the full partnership lifecycle, from sourcing and due diligence through commercial structuring.
Ruchi Sehgal
LinkedInExperience: SVP, Head of Business and Partnerships - Lending and Payment Products - Banking as a Service · HDFC Bank
SVP, Head of Business and Partnerships - Lending and Payment Products - Banking as a Service at HDFC Bank since 2024. She was previously Head Digital Lending Products and Platform - Consumer Finance Business at HDFC Bank (2019–2024), where the profile says she introduced next-generation digital lending products and platforms.
Satyam Sinha
LinkedInExperience: Senior Vice President Strategic Alliances & Head of BAAS · Open Financial Technologies
Senior Vice President Strategic Alliances & Head of BAAS at Open Financial Technologies since 2021, after serving there as Vice President and Head of Banking & Strategic Alliances (2017–2021). The profile describes Open as Asia's first banking-as-a-service platform for startups and small businesses; he was earlier AVP - Banking Alliance at Citrus Payment Solutions Pvt. Ltd (2015–2016).
Shelley Pittman
LinkedInExperience: Chief Banking Officer · Murrow Consulting Group & Banking Services
Former Chief Banking Officer at Murrow Consulting Group & Banking Services (2025–2026). The profile says that as a Chief Banking Officer focused on embedded banking and BaaS she grew a sponsor bank portfolio from one institution to ten and built partnerships with leading subledger platforms; she was also Executive Advisor at Numisma Bank (2022–2025).
Choose the right perspective
Decide which side of the partnership you need, since a bank-side BaaS leader and a fintech-side partnerships lead see different risks and incentives. Also match the person's market to yours, as regulation and bank appetite for BaaS differ from one market to another.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How do you evaluate whether a sponsor bank or fintech partner is a good fit, and what due diligence do you run?
- 02How are compliance responsibilities split between the bank and the fintech, and how is oversight enforced in practice?
- 03What economics and contract terms make a BaaS partnership sustainable for both sides?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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