What is a Typical Org Structure at a Fintech Company?

The financial technology — niche contains some of the fastest-growing companies in the world. Notable examples of fintech companies include:

• Stripe
• Credit Karma
• Robinhood
• Klarna
• SoFi
• Nubank

As you can imagine, plenty of entrepreneurs are hoping to follow in the footsteps of these titans by founding their own fintech businesses. But in order to build a successful company—fintech or otherwise—it’s critical to have the right organizational structure.

Here’s the typical org structure for a fintech company from the top down.

Fintech Company Organizational Structure

Board of Directors

If a fintech company is large enough, it may have a Board of Directors. This board is made up of the business leaders who ultimately control the direction of the company. They may take an active role in managing the organization’s operations, or they leave that in the hands of the CEO and the other C-level executives.

CEO

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) sits at the top of the reporting structure for most fintech companies. Many of the daily functions are delegated to other C-level executives and department heads, who then report directly to the CEO. The CEO uses this information to direct the company and set goals.

Operations

The Operations department handles the basic processes that keep a fintech company operating effectively. This includes:

• Creating standard policies and procedures
• Project management
• Supply chain management

When a fintech company is still in its startup stage, Operations may also include:

• Human Resources
• Finance
• Marketing

But as a company grows, these generally become distinct departments. The head of Operations is a Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Vice President of Operations. First and foremost, the COO is responsible for making sure that the company is operating as it should—and meeting the CEO’s expectations.

Finance

The Finance department manages a company’s economic strategy. Their job is to make sure the company uses its money as efficiently as possible—and above all, that it doesn’t run out of funds. This means overseeing:

• Accounting
• Bookkeeping
• Financial modeling
• Fundraising operations
• Statutory and investor reporting
• Fraud risk management
• Payment management
• Tax management
• Internal auditing

In all this, Finance’s goal is to optimize the company’s business model and maintain the ideal balance of operating cash flow, debt, and equity.

The Finance department is led by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). As with all C-level executives, the CFO reports directly to the CEO.

Product

Behind every great product is a great Product team — and fintech is no exception. The Product department researches your ideal customer base to discover their unique needs and preferences, then develops a product strategy to meet both.

Product’s duties include:

• Customer research
• Data analysis
• Product development
• Product optimization

Then, once they’ve created a clear roadmap for a product, they hand the idea to the Technology department to make it a reality. In the end, however, the Product team bears final responsibility for the product’s success or failure.

Product is headed by a Chief Product Officer (CPO) or Vice President of Product.

Technology

The Technology department is in charge of an organization’s technological needs. For fintech companies, this involves both internal IT infrastructure as well as researching and developing software products.

Technology usually manages:

• Front- and back-end development
• Network analysis
• Software engineering
• Design
• Database administration
• Cybersecurity
• Payment infrastructure
• IT support

This department is run by a Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Marketing

In order to make an impact with your fintech product, users have to know about it first. That’s where Marketing comes in. The Marketing team will spread awareness for your business, generate interest, and show the world how your product solves their problems or answers their needs.

Marketing will also work to develop your company’s image and inspire brand loyalty.

Depending on the details of your business model, your Marketing department may need to take a business-to-customer (B2C) or business-to-business (B2B) approach. Either way, they’ll manage:

• Customer research
• Digital marketing
• Ad campaigns
• Branding
• Strategic partnerships

Marketing departments are generally led by a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Head of Marketing, or Vice President of Marketing.

Human Resources

Human Resources is all about the people in your company. In fact, the head of Human Resources is often known as a Chief People Officer (CPO). Human Resources’ responsibilities cover:

• Recruiting
• Hiring
• Onboarding
• Training
• Employee performance reviews
• Conflict management

With the right Human Resources approach, you can staff your fintech organization with quality employees, establish a strong company culture, and maintain high morale.

Legal

When you’re operating a fintech company, it’s essential to be aware of the law. Money is serious business, and even breaking the law by accident could have serious consequences. Plus, if anyone tries to bring a lawsuit against your company for any reason, it helps to have some expert help in your corner.

Your Legal department will ensure that your organization complies with all the relevant laws or regulations. They can also draft resolutions, review contracts, and defend your company if you ever encounter legal troubles. An effective fintech Legal team should include:

• Counsels
• Compliance Officers
• Privacy Law Specialists
• Regulatory Lawyers

This team will report to a Chief Legal Officer (CLO) or General Counsel.

Optimize Your Fintech Company With a Public Org Chart

One of the easiest ways to improve your company’s structure is by setting up an org chart. Org charts give you a visual layout of your organization’s design, showing the relationship of departments and employees at a glance. That way, you can easily spot ways to optimize your strategy.