 |
Quick Facts For The Media:
- Arvin Razon will take up the Director for Legal, Compliance, and Regulatory Affairs position at Brankas. Prior to his appointment, he was ING Philippines’ Legal Counsel and Data Protection Officer.
- Simo Figuigui joins Brankas as Head of Business Development and Growth after a successful stint at multiple financial services in the region, namely Zai, Rapyd, and Rocket Internet’s Global Savings Group.
- Brankas is the leading Open Finance technology company in Southeast Asia, with market coverage in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
- Arvin and Simo’s appointments come as Brankas begins to go full-throttle in expanding its footprint in the region, bringing financial inclusion to Southeast Asia’s unbanked population.
SINGAPORE, Nov. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Brankas, the leading Open Finance technology company in Southeast Asia, announced it recently reinforced its team with industry and data privacy experts as the firm begins to go full-throttle in driving financial inclusion in the region. Founded in 2016, Brankas currently operates in six countries and has teamed up with over 30 financial institutions to provide the region’s under-served populations with access to modern financial services.
Welcome Arvin and Simo to Brankas
Joining as the new Director for Legal, Compliance, and Regulatory Affairs is data privacy law expert Arvin Razon. Meanwhile, APAC business expansion specialist Simo Figuigui will serve as the firm’s Head of Business Development and Growth.
As the former Legal Counsel and Data Protection Officer for ING Philippines – the first all-digital bank in the Philippines – Arvin is accomplished in digital banking law and regulatory compliance. He has a strong track record in data privacy, following his role as DPO for ING Philippines, where he was extensively involved in developing and implementing policies and procedures for data privacy. In his role, he was also instrumental in leading the Bank’s privacy impact assessments, risk mitigation controls, and data privacy training among stakeholders.
At Brankas, Arvin’s expertise will strengthen the firm’s data protection strategies and controls, ensuring the secure handling of customers’ consented data across the region. Arvin’s wide scope of experience will also play a significant role in leading Brankas’ engagements with various public sector stakeholders while ensuring compliance with global standards for Open Finance and IT security. Brankas is currently ISO 27001 certified and en route to getting PCI-DSS certified by the end of 2021.
“Brankas has a strong track record of commitment to legal compliance and risk management,” said Arvin, “I am excited to work with everyone in realizing Brankas’ vision of being a trailblazer of Open Finance across the region.”
Meanwhile, in his new role, Simo will leverage his years of experience as an APAC business expansion specialist to spearhead the next phase of Brankas’ growth in transforming financial services in Southeast Asia.
Simo was previously leading Sales in Asia for Zai, where he built the go-to-market strategy from the ground up. Before that, he was one of the early joiners to fintech unicorn Rapyd’s APAC team, working on some of Rapyd’s most strategic expansion projects. Simo also had a successful stint at Rocket Internet’s Global Savings Group – Europe’s largest shopping rewards company – serving as one of the founding team members of GSG Asia.
“I am thrilled by the opportunity to join Brankas as Head of Business Development & Growth,” said Simo. “I am looking forward to expanding our coverage, solving multiple industry challenges, and accelerating financial inclusion in the region.”
Southeast Asia is still grappling with the financial exclusion of millions, with more than 70 percent of the population remain unbanked or underbanked. However, the region continues to see rapid transformation in its financial services landscapes, with Open Finance fintech companies like Brankas democratizing access to financial services through cutting-edge technologies.
Brankas is always on the lookout for passionate individuals and forward-thinkers to join their growing team. Check out available positions here.
About Brankas
Brankas is the leading Open Finance technology company in Southeast Asia. We provide API-based solutions, data, and payments solutions for financial service providers (like banks, lenders, and e-wallets) and online businesses. Brankas partners with banks to build and manage their Open Finance infrastructure, producing APIs for real-time payments, identity and data, new account opening, remittances, and more. With Brankas’ secure Open Banking technology, online businesses, fintech companies, and digital banks can use Brankas APIs to create new digital experiences for their users.