Jeff Winner named as Interim CEO for Happy Money

By Edlyn Cardoza

Happy Money, the FinTech building tools and services for human happiness, recently announced that Jeff Winner has been named interim CEO of Happy Money. In connection with this appointment, Scott Saunders, founder, and former CEO, will remain as chairman of the Board of Directors.

Happy Money is a leading facilitator of unsecured personal loans in partnership with community-focused credit unions. Leveraging its human-centric, science-backed approach to finance, the company has already helped members pay off over $3 billion in debt – facilitating $1 billion in loans in 2020 alone. Continuing its innovation and growth trajectory, Happy Money is developing new programs and technology designed to help consumers have a happier relationship with money.

“With the success of our Payoff loan product and proven resilience of our portfolio, Happy Money is poised for exponential growth, and I believe this is the optimal time to transition to a new CEO for the next chapter,” said Scott. “Jeff has proven himself to be an incredible addition to our team, and I have complete confidence in him and the executive team. I’m proud of what we have built to date and want to thank and celebrate the Happy Money team, past, present, and future. As a major shareholder, I look forward to seeing the company continue to grow and make a positive impact in people’s lives for years to come.”

Jeff Winner, said, “I’m honored to step into the interim CEO role, lead our exceptionally talented organization, and continue our momentum on our mission to help borrowers become savers. We have an incredible team in place, and I’m excited to help move the company forward into a phase of sustained rapid growth.”

Prior to Happy Money, Jeff held leadership roles at Twitter and Stripe, and was the Chief Technology Officer for Marcus, Goldman Sachs’ Consumer Business where he led the development of the Apple Card and pioneered the first cloud-based Goldman Sachs product. Since joining Happy Money as CTO in early 2020, Jeff has driven reliable business performance, increased operating leverage, and begun productizing the company’s proprietary science. In his most recent role as Chief Operating Officer, he oversaw Engineering, Member Experience, Operations, Product, Science, and Technology. Jeff holds advanced and undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from MIT.

“Jeff has already made a significant mark on Happy Money, and with his skillset, experience, and passion for Happy Money’s mission, he was the ideal choice for this role,” said Brian Kaas, President and Managing Director, CMFG Ventures, and Happy Money Board Member. “I and the entire Board of Directors have the utmost faith in Jeff’s leadership, and we’re excited for the next phase of this company.”