N26, the German neobank with headquarters in Berlin, announced the appointment of three new senior executives today to strengthen its extended leadership team.

The company has brought on board Carine van der Heijden as the Vice President of Brand Marketing, Kertu-Liina Lehismae as the Director of Digital Marketing and Global Media, and Nicole Heider as the Director of Labor Relations and Employment Law.

With their combined decades of experience, these new hires bring valuable skills and expertise from global brands like Amazon and Booking.com.

N26 Hires Three Women as Directors

According to Valentin Stalf, the CEO and Co-Founder of N26, these new hires are vital to the company's success and will help steer N26 toward sustainable growth. With these new appointments, the mobile bank is confident in its ability to provide high-quality marketing and labor relations while still driving growth.

Carine van der Heijden, with over a decade of experience in marketing leadership roles, has joined N26 as the Vice President of Brand Marketing, Activation and Content. In this role, she will lead the next stage of N26's brand development across production, operational and creative growth functions.

Van der Heijden's extensive background in defining and executing global brand marketing strategies, creative ideation, execution, and production during her seven-year tenure at Booking.com makes her a valuable asset in developing N26's brand strategy.

"It is an honor to join the talented team that positioned N26 as a leader in Europe's digital banking market," van der Heijden commented.

Kertu-Liina Lehismae has returned to N26 as the Director of Digital Marketing and Global Media, bringing over a decade of experience in marketing and media. Her responsibilities include driving sustainable growth strategies, overseeing growth and digital marketing, and leading all of N26's global media efforts.

Previously, Lehismae had joined N26 during its earlier growth stages in 2018 and subsequently led Performance Marketing at the real estate transactions platform, McMakler.

Lastly, Nicole Heider has been appointed as N26's new Director of Labor Relations and Employment Law. With 14 years of experience in employment, labor law, and various other areas of law, Heider will oversee N26's compliance with employment laws and regulations, working closely with its Works Council.

Heider, who was formerly Amazon's Head of Marketplace and Prime Legal for the DACH region, will join the N26 team in May 2023. Van der Heijden and Lehismae began their new roles two weeks ago.

Stalf concluded that N26's new hires bring diverse experience and expertise to the mobile bank's leadership team. With their skills and knowledge, N26 is confident in its ability to continue providing world-class banking services to its customers and to drive sustainable growth.

N26 Enters the World of Cryptocurrencies

N26 is part of a group of financial institutions known as 'neobanks' or 'challenger banks.' These institutions operate solely online, offering financial services through mobile apps and websites rather than physical branches. Neobanks aim to provide a more convenient, accessible, and user-friendly banking experience through the use of innovative digital tools and technologies.

These digital banks are gaining popularity, especially among younger generations who are well-versed in digital technology and value flexibility and convenience. Some notable neobanks include Chime, Revolut, Monzo, and N26. In 2020, after raising $100 million in Funding Round D, N26 was valued at $3.5 billion. By October 2021, the valuation was already at $9 billion.

As part of its ongoing expansion into new financial services, N26 launched a cryptocurrency trading product called N26 Crypto in October last year. Customers in Austria were the first to experience the new features through the N26 app, with other markets being added gradually. By mid-January, N26 Crypto became available to traders in five additional countries: Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, and Switzerland.

According to the company, N26 Crypto offers one of the broadest selections of cryptocurrency assets among rival banking applications. The product was developed in collaboration with Bitpanda Asset Management GmbH, which recently launched in Austria and is responsible for executing trades and providing custodian services.