We help VC-backed fintechs, SaaS scaleups, and challenger banks across the US hire AI-ready executives and build leadership teams that scale — from Wall Street to Silicon Valley.
Executive search and embedded recruitment for VC-backed fintechs, payments innovators, and AI-first financial services companies scaling across the United States and the Americas.
We place C-suite and senior leadership — CTOs, CPOs, CROs, Heads of Payments, GTM leaders — across VC-backed fintechs, challenger banks, and payments companies throughout the US.
Learn More →Next-generation non-executive directors and board advisors for AI-native fintechs, payments scale-ups, and SaaS companies navigating growth, governance, and regulation.
Learn More →On-demand, founder-speed recruitment for fast-scaling teams. We embed into your hiring process — without the overhead of an internal TA function.
Learn More →Cliff van Tonder, founder and CEO, spent over 25 years as a C-level executive at global fintech giants including Finastra, Zafin, BNP Paribas, FIS, and Temenos. He's built and scaled teams across the Americas, APAC, and EMEA — and now does it for you.
This isn't traditional recruitment. It's operator-level insight paired with a deeply human approach — no bots, no keyword bingo, no bloated processes.
Our StoryWe know the difference between embedded finance, agentic AI, and core banking modernization — and what exceptional leadership looks like in each.
New York, San Francisco, Austin, Miami, Boston — and a global network across four continents for cross-border leadership mandates.
Every search is handled with complete discretion. We take time to understand your culture, your runway, and the person — not just the role.
Recognized two years running for outstanding results in executive placement within the global fintech industry.
From seed-stage AI startups to publicly traded payments companies — we serve the full ecosystem.
We place fintech leaders across every major US tech and financial hub — and internationally when cross-border mandates demand it.
Wall Street, fintech alley, and the dense payments ecosystem of the Northeast corridor
Silicon Valley, the epicenter of VC-backed fintech, AI startups, and crypto innovation
The emerging fintech capital — crypto, LATAM payments, and cross-border innovation
Fast-growing tech hub attracting fintech headquarters and AI-first startups
Wealth tech, institutional fintech, RegTech, and government-adjacent financial innovation
Cross-border mandates spanning the US, Canada, LATAM, and our global offices in the UK, Australia, and Africa
We didn't need another recruiter. We needed someone who understood our chaos and delivered fast. Cliff nailed it.
Fintech HI.RE brought us a board-level leader who truly understood payments, scale, and compliance. Seamless process, spot-on hire.
No fluff, no delay — just actual candidates who fit our culture and understood our product.
Cliff van Tonder previously held senior and C-level roles at leading global fintech and banking companies
Whether you're a VC-backed startup scaling your GTM team, a payments company hiring a CTO, or a challenger bank building its board — let's talk.