In today’s CMO Talk, we sit down with Christie H. Kristensen, a seasoned marketing leader in the fintech space, who shares insights from her remarkable journey spanning global hubs like London, Paris, New York, and Copenhagen. From spearheading a fintech startup’s marketing efforts supporting a successful acquisition by Mastercard to advising businesses on growth strategies, Christie offers a unique perspective on the intersection of technology, payments, and marketing.
Read Christie's complete Q&A below.
Can you share a bit about your background and what drew you to the payments industry, especially before terms like ‘fintech’ and ‘paytech’ became widely recognised?
Christie: I’ve always been fascinated by tech because it’s both complex and scalable. My mindset has always been one of curiosity and creative problem-solving, which aligns perfectly with the ever-evolving tech landscape. I’ve been focused on delivering value to customers, and technology, particularly fintech, allows me to do just that in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
What I find so interesting about fintech is how it’s seamlessly integrated into our everyday lives. Whether it’s splitting a bill with friends or ensuring cash flow for businesses, payments are at the heart of everything we do. The challenge and joy of marketing in fintech is making these intangible services feel tangible, creating experiences that are simple, fast, and customer-centric. I love the idea that we can make something as essential as access to funds so effortless that consumers never have to think about it.
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Your role as CMO at Aiia led to its successful acquisition by Mastercard. What were the key strategies you employed to grow the brand, product, and commercial engine with a clear exit strategy in mind?
Christie: One of the first tasks I focused on was leading a cultural transformation - from an end-user (B2C) focus to corporate customers (B2B) - especially as we scaled across multiple markets. When I joined Aiia, 80% of our efforts were directed at the personal money management app (Spiir), and only 20% was focused on open banking infrastructure. For us to achieve our ambitious vision, we had to flip that and prioritise establishing a new category of open banking.
Followed shortly with go-to-market strategies. Within 18 months, we expanded from operating in the Nordic markets to 18, becoming a leading open banking provider in Europe. Our customer-centric approach, focusing on solving real pain points, allowed us to build award-winning solutions that improved payments and workflows through data.
Post-acquisition, my focus shifted to integrating the team into Mastercard. It was essential to identify how we could leverage Mastercard’s resources to streamline operations, cut costs, and work smarter. I also focused on scaling our efforts through MarTech—establishing frameworks and processes that continue to be used today, ensuring the team could operate more efficiently as we grew.
The payments industry is known for its fast pace driven by innovation and consumer demands. How do you approach staying ahead of these changes, and what strategies do you use to keep your marketing efforts relevant in both B2B and B2C contexts?
Christie: The key is to always keep the customer at the centre of everything we do. I’ve adopted a flywheel approach, where customer feedback constantly feeds into refining our marketing strategies and products. We run experiments, test different go-to-market approaches, and scale what works. This way, we ensure we stay relevant, regardless of whether we’re addressing B2B or B2C audiences.
You're actively involved in various fintech and payment communities. How has this involvement enriched your career, and what role do you see community engagement playing in the success of fintech and paytech companies?
Christie: Being part of fintech and payment communities has been crucial for my growth and the success of the companies I’ve worked with. These communities foster collaboration and peer learning, which are essential for innovation. In such a fast-moving industry, no one succeeds in isolation. Engaging with peers across the ecosystem helps you stay on top of trends, discover new opportunities, and even form partnerships that can accelerate business growth.
Are there any fintech or paytech brands that you’re currently following and finding particularly innovative or inspiring?
Christie: I’m really inspired by Deel, which is disrupting HRtech, particularly in payroll and expense management. They’ve taken a traditional function and streamlined it in a way that’s highly efficient and scalable.
Another example is the Nordic mobile wallet, Vipps MobilePay, which is leading cross-border payments in the region. I think there’s a lot to learn from how they’ve approached the market with a clear focus on solving specific pain points while maintaining rapid growth.
What do you see as the next big trends in fintech marketing?
Christie: There is a trend which is starting to formalise which I think all CMOs and marketing folks need to be aware of. Because I think marketing is in a crisis. As companies are under great pressure to deliver growth and profit, the majority of CEOs are turning to marketing as a strategic piece in the company's growth. But the majority of CMOs see precisely commercial growth as the biggest challenge. There is a need for marketing to refocus its strategy and change the narrative from a cost centre to a profit driver to ensure relevance in the company. We will have to turn the crisis into something good, namely to refocus the marketing model to pivot.
One of the signals of the emerging trend is the fact Marketing has lost ownership of MarTech to the IT department, since 2019, the marketing budget has seen cuts, and there has become a need for "more with less", which puts teams under pressure.
I believe that to excel in marketing, we must return to the basics. By developing growth strategies that are rooted in understanding the needs of our customers, gaining insights into their preferences, and delivering value in a meaningful manner, we can distinguish between good marketers and great marketers.
Christie H. Kristensen’s journey in fintech is a testament to the power of adaptability, curiosity, and a customer-first mindset. As fintech continues to grow and evolve, leaders like Christie are paving the way for innovative, scalable solutions that put customer needs at the forefront.
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