Our management team | Advanzia Bank S.A.

Nishant Fafalia, Interim CEO, Chairperson of the Executive Management Committee

Nishant Fafalia joined Advanzia in March 2023 as Interim CEO.

Nishant Fafalia is Investment Director at Kistefos AS (Advanzia’s majority shareholder) since 2010, and a member of the Board of Directors of Advanzia Bank since 2016. In his role as Interim CEO and chairperson of the Executive Management Committee, Nishant Fafalia is responsible for the day-to-day management of the bank with a focus on securing the execution of key strategic priorities, together with Advanzia’s Management Committee.

Mr. Fafalia holds a Master of Science degree from Lund Institute of Technology and a Master of Science degree from Lund University School of Economics & Management.

Kaj Larsen, General Counsel, Member of the Executive Management Committee

Kaj Larsen joined Advanzia Bank in June 2022 as General Counsel.

An expert in regulatory and international business law, Kaj Larsen has worked as in-house and external legal counsel, and more recently held the position of Chief Compliance Officer at Apex Fund Services S.A. and served as Country Head of Compliance for the Apex Group’s entities in Luxembourg. Before that, Kaj held various executive positions with financial institutions including Catella Bank, where he was in charge of the bank’s strategic review. At Advanzia, Kaj is responsible for the areas Legal & Compliance, and brings with him a strong practical understanding of key operating regulations such as PSD2, AML/KYC, as well as FATCA and CRS.

Kaj Larsen holds a law degree (LLM) from Stockholm University (Sweden).

Patrick Thilges, Chief Financial Officer, Member of the Executive Management Committee

Patrick Thilges started working for Advanzia Bank in 2007 as a Business Analyst and played a key role in defining new business opportunities, as well as optimising operational efficiency. He was also instrumental in Advanzia's entry in the French market. In August 2016, Patrick was appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

As CFO, Patrick Thilges has a special focus on diversifying Advanzia’s funding base.

Prior to joining Advanzia, Patrick Thilges was a controller at the Luxembourg headquarters of Arcelor Mittal. He has a master’s degree in Management Science from the Solvay Business School in Brussels (Belgium).

Romain Fettes, Chief Information Officer

Romain Fettes joined Advanzia in December 2019 as Chief Information Officer.

Prior to joining the Bank, he served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information Officer for Mitsubishi UFJ Investor Services & Banking in Luxembourg.

With over 20 years of IT experience in various sectors, most notably in the financial sector, Romain Fettes brings a comprehensive and rounded knowledge of IT operations, enterprise architecture frameworks and IT infrastructure.

In the early years of his career, Romain Fettes had various roles in system engineering and IT operations, before embarking on a career in consultancy and ultimately strategic IT change management. Romain also has considerable expertise in IT service and lean management.

Linda Früh, Chief Digital Officer

Linda Früh joined Advanzia in 2018 as the Head of Business Engineering and was appointed Chief Digital Officer in September 2019.

At the start of her career, Linda Früh worked in product management for various software companies. During her tenure at Wirecard Technologies from 2007 to 2018, she was involved in developing the company’s online payment solutions. She subsequently headed the Alternative Payments division and was later in charge of Platform Development and Innovations PSP, where she played an instrumental role in the strategic expansion of Wirecard’s global payment processing platform.

As Chief Digital Officer, Linda Früh drives the digital transformation of the bank, with a strong focus on omni-channel customer experience and the development towards a digital banking platform.

Linda Früh holds a degree in Marketing and Business Administration from the Bavarian Academy for Advertising and Marketing.

Annemarie Jung, Chief Product Officer

Annemarie Jung joined Advanzia Bank in December 2022 as Chief Product Officer.

Having worked for over 20 years in financial, digital and ecommerce industries, she has acquired a broad skillset including strategic, operational, regulatory and product expertise. Annemarie Jung has held management positions at national and international level, with companies such as Amazon, BGL BNP Paribas, Toronto Dominion, KPMG and Talkwalker.

As Chief Product Officer, Annemarie Jung focuses on driving Advanzia’s product roadmap and innovating the customer journey through digital solutions.

Annemarie Jung holds a master’s degree in Journalism from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, an MBA from the University of Derby and a master’s degree in Law (LLM) from the University of Derby.

Pieter Verhoeckx, Chief Customer Relations Officer

Pieter Verhoeckx was appointed Chief Customer Relations Officer (CCRO) at Advanzia Bank in May 2008.

Prior to joining Advanzia, Pieter Verhoeckx held various management positions at Fortis Bank in the Netherlands. Between 2005 and 2008 he was involved in Fortis’ entry into the German market. He was also instrumental in setting up the Customer Service Department.

Pieter Verhoeckx has a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics from the Haagse Hoge School in the Netherlands. He is a member of the board of ACCIE, the Association of Credit Card Issuers in Europe.