Finshape Taps New CEO for Global Growth and AI Banking Vision

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – January 07, 2026 – Digital banking solutions provider Finshape has appointed veteran technology and banking executive Neil Budd as its new Chief Executive Officer, a strategic move signaling an accelerated push for global market share. The appointment comes on the heels of a landmark year for the company, which reported 30% year-on-year growth and is now setting its sights on significant expansion across Western Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Budd, who brings over 25 years of international experience, takes the helm from Petr Koutný, who will transition to the role of Chairman of the Board. The leadership shuffle is a clear indicator of Finshape's intent to build on its strong foundation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and evolve into a dominant global player in the competitive fintech landscape.

A New Era of Leadership and Global Ambition

Neil Budd's extensive resume makes him a tailored fit for Finshape's ambitious roadmap. His career includes senior leadership roles at major global firms, providing him with a deep understanding of the intersection between finance, technology, and strategic growth. At Finastra, he served as Vice President and Global Head of Strategic Partnerships, and at Accenture, he was a Managing Director. This background in forging alliances and driving revenue is central to his new mandate at Finshape.

His primary focus will be to steer the company's international expansion, strengthen value delivery for its banking clients, and capitalize on emerging market opportunities. In a statement, Budd highlighted the challenges and opportunities facing financial institutions today as they seek to convert digitalization investments into tangible results and harness the power of artificial intelligence.

"Banks are looking for technology partners they can trust for the long term," said Neil Budd, the new CEO of Finshape. "Finshape has a strong, relevant product portfolio, experienced teams, and stable, trusted relationships with banks. With our ADBO System and new capabilities in loyalty and personalisation, we will continue to help banks deliver tangible value to their customers and accelerate our growth journey to new markets."

Budd's vision aligns with a strategy that leverages Finshape's established strengths—a client roster including major institutions like Erste Group and Raiffeisen Bank International—while aggressively pursuing new frontiers.

Sharpening the Competitive Edge with AI and Innovation

At the heart of Finshape's technological offering is its "Agentic Digital Bank Operating System" (ADBO System). This platform is designed as more than just a software suite; it's an operational framework intended to bridge the gap between a bank's IT infrastructure and its business objectives. The system facilitates a seamless omnichannel customer experience across web, mobile, and branch channels, utilizing low-code tools to accelerate the development and integration of new services.

Crucially, the company is positioning itself as a leader in the meaningful integration of AI. Rather than treating artificial intelligence as a buzzword, Finshape's strategy is to embed it into its core offerings to produce measurable outcomes for banks. The ADBO System features a modular, AI-ready architecture, enabling capabilities like advanced personalization and predictive analytics that help financial institutions better understand and serve their customers.

This focus on practical AI application and modular architecture places Finshape squarely in line with key industry trends. Market analysis from firms like Gartner and Forrester consistently points to the necessity of omnichannel platforms, API-driven ecosystems, and intelligent, adaptive experiences. Finshape is entering a crowded field with established competitors like Temenos, Finastra, and Mambu, all of whom are heavily investing in cloud-native and AI-powered solutions. However, Finshape's emphasis on an "Agentic" OS that provides "vendor sovereignty" and its proven track record in the CEE market provide a distinct foundation for its competitive push.

Strategic Moves Bolstering International Footprint

Finshape's global ambitions are not just rhetoric; they are backed by concrete strategic actions. In August 2025, the company acquired Realtime-XLS, a sophisticated loyalty platform, from the Collinson Group. This move significantly enhances Finshape's product suite by integrating deep expertise in customer loyalty and rewards. The acquisition brought approximately 60 new specialists and expanded the company's physical presence with new offices in France and Singapore, key gateways to its target expansion regions. By integrating the Realtime-XLS solution into its ADBO System, Finshape can now offer banks advanced tools to incentivize customer behavior, drive engagement, and increase revenue through targeted cross-selling and up-selling.

Further cementing its international credentials, Finshape announced a landmark strategic partnership with Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), the largest Islamic bank in the United Arab Emirates, in October 2025. DIB adopted Finshape's ADBO System to accelerate its digital transformation and redefine the customer experience for Shariah-compliant banking. This collaboration is more than just a client win; it serves as a powerful entry point into the burgeoning Islamic finance sector and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. It demonstrates the flexibility of Finshape's platform and its ability to cater to specialized banking requirements, opening doors for further joint initiatives and co-creation of customer-centric solutions in high-growth markets.

From Regional Powerhouse to Global Contender

These strategic maneuvers are built upon a foundation of robust financial health. Finshape reported EUR 55 million in revenue for 2025, a remarkable 30% increase year-on-year. This rapid growth marks a significant acceleration from just a few years prior, indicating a successful turnaround and a strategy that is already bearing fruit. The company's combination of organic development and targeted acquisitions has proven to be a potent formula for scaling its operations.

Today, Finshape supports over 100 financial institutions in 25 countries, powered by a global team of more than 600 specialists. Its solutions support tens of millions of banking end-users worldwide. While its roots are firmly planted in Central and Eastern Europe, the company's recent moves under its new leadership clearly signal a pivotal transition. By combining a new, globally-focused CEO, a technologically advanced and AI-ready platform, and a proven strategy of targeted acquisitions and partnerships, Finshape is methodically executing a plan to transform itself from a regional powerhouse into a formidable contender on the world's digital banking stage.