Africa’s fintech Unicorn Flutterwave, has strengthened its executive bench, following the appointment of former Citi CFO Mitesh Popat, as the company’s Chief Financial Officer.
With over 20 years of global financial services experience spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Mitesh is set to play a key role in steering Flutterwave’s growth and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
Mitesh brings a wealth of expertise from his previous roles at Citi, where he served as CFO for the Middle East and Africa, managing finance operations across 29 countries, and as CFO for Global Equities Sales and Trading, overseeing the financial aspects of a $5 billion revenue business. His experience in strategic planning, performance management, and balance sheet optimization will be instrumental in Flutterwave’s next phase.
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In his new role at Flutterwave, Mitesh will be responsible for overseeing Flutterwave’s corporate finance functions. This is to support the company’s growth plans, leveraging his expertise in managing the finance and operation functions of a complex global business. He will also ensure balanced resource allocation and strategic execution across Flutterwave.
Speaking on his appointment, he said,
“I am excited to have joined the Flutterwave team at this important time in the company’s journey. I have a deep understanding of the operating environment in Africa and the complexity of operating an emerging market business and I plan to bring my experience in growing Flutterwave while optimizing our business model for sustained profitability. I am looking forward to working with the team to enhance Flutterwave’s financial position and drive operational efficiencies through curiosity and innovation.”
Also commenting on the strategic appointment, Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga Agboola said,
“We have an ambitious goal to connect Africa to the world and Mitesh embodies our vision with his experience working extensively within Africa in a global capacity. He shares our values of customer obsession and we’re certain that with his impressive track record in financial management, he will contribute to the next phase of our growth. As our new CFO, his work will be adding value to our customers both enterprise merchants and retail remittance customers, as well as the African fintech ecosystem.”
Flutterwave has continued to fortify its team and board with strategic appointments aimed at strengthening its leadership and driving growth across its operations. Last year, the company announced the appointment of several seasoned leaders from prominent financial services companies which include PayPal, Stripe, American Express, First Data, Western Union, and Square.
This addition of experienced professionals from global financial giants, including a recent hire from Citi, highlights the company’s commitment to assembling a world-class team that can navigate the complexities of the fintech landscape.
These board members and executives bring with them deep expertise in finance, operations, and risk management, which will be crucial as Flutterwave expands its services and solidifies its position as Africa’s leading payments technology company. The company’s focus on building a robust leadership team is part of its broader strategy to enhance governance, ensure financial sustainability, and accelerate growth both on the continent and globally.
By bringing in talents from leading global payment giants, Flutterwave is positioning itself to benefit from their vast experience in scaling operations, managing complex financial systems, and navigating regulatory environments. Notably, adding experienced, well-known executives enhances the credibility of Flutterwave in the eyes of investors, partners, and customers. This will no doubt boost market confidence in the company’s leadership and its ability to deliver cutting-edge financial services.