Lanistar bolsters C-suite with new CFO and CCO hires

By Gloria Methri

London-based FinTech Lanistar has announced the appointment of Ed Blankson as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Blankson brings a wealth of expertise having spent multiple years as a senior official at Tide.

Alongside Blankson, Lanistar also announced the onboarding of Merton Smith as its Chief Customer Officer (CCO). Having previously managed C-Level relationships at Innova, HP, and Verifone, Smith’s hire is the latest move by the company to achieve its full growth potential.

Lanistar offers its customers access to their financial products in one, accessible place. Operating as an intermediary to end users, the company aims to challenge the status quo of traditional financial services. Lanistar recently announced that it is now fully compatible with Google Pay, and a partnership with Apple Pay is expected soon.

Jeremy Baber CEO of Lanistar said, “We are thrilled to announce the hires of Ed and Merton, both of whom are seasoned leaders with vast experience in finance and legal-risk compliance and customer growth respectively.  This will no doubt help reinforce our position in the market.”

Smith said, “I am enthusiastic about the opportunity at Lanistar to be ground-breaking and disruptive. To be a true disruptor in the financial services sector and introduce an alternative payment philosophy to the market. We are reaching those that would otherwise not be reached. We want to embrace people who want to bank or have access to financial transactions and products who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to via traditional finance offerings.”

Lanistar says it recorded a rapid uptake of open accounts within four months of its launch in Brazil. The FinTech is also in the process of integrating its own cryptocurrency exchange alongside its existing offerings.