Operating across GCC · UK & Europe · Africa · US · Central Asia
Fiat Republic✦OpenPayd✦Fidor✦Bankable✦TBC Bank UZ✦PayU✦Tesser✦Manza✦Mangosteen Advisory✦YouTrip✦HelloFresh✦Fiat Republic✦OpenPayd✦Fidor✦Bankable✦TBC Bank UZ✦PayU✦Tesser✦Manza✦Mangosteen Advisory✦YouTrip✦HelloFresh✦
What I believe
The technology was often already there. The growth came from finding the right customers, building the right proposition and an organisation built to sell it.
Proof
Built from the commercial side.
Banks, BaaS platforms and digital-asset businesses across Europe, MENA and emerging markets, from the first enterprise contract to a full commercial organisation.
×6
A fintech's revenue in two years, as Growth Leader with full P&L responsibility
10+
Market and product launches across Europe, the GCC and emerging markets
50+
Keynotes, panels and podcasts, from Money20/20 to Point Zero Forum
20
Years in finance and fintech, from M&A and private equity to building fintechs
Work with me
Three ways in.
Fractional mandates, a small number of boards, and founders I back. Full attention, on a rhythm that fits each mandate.
01
Fractional GTM · CRO · CGO
Revenue first: every dollar spent tied to a dollar coming in. I own the commercial engine: revenue strategy, pricing, enterprise sales, partnerships, and how sales, marketing and customer success work together. Building it, restructuring it, or scaling it up. Always delivered with my partners at Mangosteen Advisory.
Digital-asset platforms adding payments
Banks working out stablecoins and digital assets
Fintechs entering the GCC or Europe
Fintechs and AI companies selling into banks and financial institutions
Companies opening new segments, such as fintechs and digital-asset businesses
Fintechs after Series A
02
Board
Independent Non-Executive Director for banks, fintechs and AI companies building for financial services. Strategy, audit, risk, AI and ESG oversight, with an operator's read of the numbers.
Supervisory Board, TBC Bank Uzbekistan
IFC Nominee Director
Audit Committee · Risk Committee
Board ESG Representative
AI Governance
03
Advisory
Alongside founders I back, as investor and advisor, on go-to-market, partnerships and fundraising narrative.
Tesser · stablecoin infrastructure for financial institutions, US
Manza (formerly Zazu) · SME banking, Africa
Previously YouTrip, SuperCharger Ventures
Partner · Mangosteen Advisory
Operators, not just advisors.
I am a Partner at Mangosteen Advisory, a London boutique of senior operators working globally. My fractional and project work always runs through the team: one partner leads, the bench behind them covers what the mandate needs.
Mostly
Fractional leadership
Embedded as part-time growth, revenue or go-to-market lead, driving change from the inside, with the rising team mentored along the way.
Sometimes
Project-led mandates
Focused, time-bound work with a defined outcome: go-to-market strategy, partnerships, pricing, or the design of the commercial organisation.
The partners
A senior bench
Alongside Julien Kervella (ex Samsung, CGI), Nathalie Oestmann (ex Amex, Samsung) and Vincent Belloc (ex PayPal, eBay), with AI-enabled delivery and an expert network behind us.
Riyadh-based, working wherever the mandate is, with live mandates and board seats across four continents.
GCC
Advisor, Tier 1 GCC bank
Co-Chair, MENA Fintech Association Saudi Chapter
UK & Europe
Partner, Mangosteen Advisory
Previously OpenPayd, Fidor, Fiat Republic
Africa
Investor and advisor, Manza
SME banking, Morocco & South Africa
US
Advisor, Tesser
Stablecoin infrastructure for financial institutions
Central Asia
Supervisory Board, TBC Bank Uzbekistan
IFC Nominee Director
Board & advisory
Around the board table.
Qualifications
IMD Business SchoolMastering Board GovernanceCertificate · 2026
University of Oxford, SaïdAI GovernanceCertificate · 2026
IFC, World Bank GroupSustainability TrainingCertificate · 2026
IFC, World Bank GroupBoard oversight of ISSB-aligned reportingCertificate · 2026
Since 2025
TBC Bank Uzbekistan Supervisory Board
Digital bank in Central Asia's most populous country, part of LSE-listed, FTSE 250 TBC Bank Group. 23M+ registered users across the ecosystem. IFC Nominee Director, Audit Committee member, Risk Committee observer, and designated ESG Representative under the Central Bank of Uzbekistan mandate.
Since 2025
MENA Fintech Association Co-Chair, Saudi Chapter
Industry body for fintech across the Middle East and North Africa.
Since 2026
Tesser Advisor
Stablecoin infrastructure for financial institutions: banks, payment providers and remittance companies, US. Seed round led by Castle Island Ventures.
Since 2025
Manza Investor and advisor · formerly Zazu
Digital SME banking, Morocco and South Africa. Backed by Plug and Play Ventures and Launch Africa.
2022 – 2025
Fiat Republic Co-Founder, CCO & Board Member
Regulated banking rails for crypto platforms, UK and Dutch EMI licences. Backed by Kraken Ventures, Speedinvest and Seedcamp.
2019 – 2023
PayU, Prosus Group Fintech Advisory Board
One of the largest payment providers in emerging markets, led by India, where it processed $58B in FY23. M&A, market entry and growth across 17+ markets.
Earlier
YouTrip · SuperCharger Advisor
Multi-currency wallet in Singapore and Thailand, $100M+ raised. Fintech accelerator programme in Asia.
AI governance
AI is moving into regulated finance.
I am joining the boards of AI companies building for banks, payments and financial services. As agents start to pay, onboard and decide on someone's behalf, the hard questions land in the boardroom.
Selling into banksProcurement, risk and compliance reviews, and the partner bank that makes a product usable.
From the bank's sideSupervisory Board, Audit and Risk Committees at TBC Bank Uzbekistan as its AI agenda accelerates.
Trust and liabilityWho is the regulated party, and who carries the liability when an agent acts.
Probably the best piece of advice I've ever received in my career.
One particular advisor at one point turned to me and said "Axel, are you sure you want to be a CEO? I think you're more acting as a CTO." [...] In hindsight, she was absolutely spot on. Surround yourself with people that will cut the shit and tell you how it is.
Axel Hunter· Founder, Devin.no AI
“She played a key role in shaping our tech architecture [...] and provided valuable insights to help us sharpen our entire GTM/B2B sales strategy and get us to PMF into a new market.”
