Kristina Walcker-Mayer becomes CEO of Bitwala

She came as CPO, now she has surprisingly become CEO: former N26 manager Kristina Walcker-Mayer is taking over from the founder. She is not lacking in experience.

Bitwala actually hired her as CPO, but now she is the successor to Bitwala founder Ben Jonas: Kristina Walcker-Mayer is the fintech's new CEO. Her career took her from Zalando to neobank N26 and then to Bitwala in September 2020. Since then, she has been involved in the 15 million euro financing round in November 2020, among other things.

Bitwala was the brainchild of Ben Jonas, Jan Goslicki and Jörg von Mickwitz in 2013. The first version for transferring money with cryptocurrencies was launched in 2015, and the Berlin-based company received its first funding in 2016. Today, more than 80 employees work for the fintech in Berlin. Processing takes place via Solarisbank; Bitwala does not have its own license.

As CEO, Walcker-Mayer also wants to focus on women in the fintech world and encourage them to invest in cryptocurrencies. Currently, 16 to 17 percent of Bitwala's customers are women, compared to eleven percent last year, reports Gründerszene. She herself is also setting an example with her new position: Few women can be found in the top management of fintechs.

Her predecessor Jonas will remain with the company as "Chairman of the Board", according to Founders Scene. He also tells the medium that the plan was not to make Walcker-Mayer Managing Director, but that her work was convincing.