Flybits creates new advisory board to elevate the role of financial institutions in the new data economy

Press Releases

Oct 28, 2020

The diverse set of industry experts will guide the company on its mission to strengthen banks as data-driven community hubs and become catalysts for the improved wellbeing of their customers.

TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – Flybits, the leading customer experience platform for the financial services sector, today announces the formation of its new advisory board. This trusted committee of diverse industry and academic experts represent globally recognized thought leaders across innovation, strategy, marketing, and banking.

The key mandate of the board will be to counsel the company as it accelerates its efforts on data strategy, artificial intelligence, and business growth while supporting the unique challenges faced by the banking industry in a post-pandemic era. The timing of this board formation is especially critical as Flybits becomes an essential partner for banks, helping them to accelerate their digital and data transformation, and build trust with their customers in the new economy.

"The global pandemic has created a new wave of innovation that has transformed the business model of banks and how they need to evolve in the future," said Dr. Hossein Rahnama, Founder and CEO of Flybits. "Our new advisory board will support myself and our senior executive team with our global expansion strategies. They will also play a critical role as we strive to help banks use Flybits technology to become pillars in the communities they serve, rebooting the economy, and building lifelong trusted relationships with their customers and corporate partners."

The Flybits' advisory board includes:

Arlene Dickinson, Advisory Board Member
Arlene Dickinson is the General Partner of District Ventures Capital, a venture capital fund focused on investing and helping market and grow companies in the CPG space. She is a three-time best-selling author, podcaster, accomplished public speaker and is widely recognized for her role as a Dragon/Venture Capitalist for 12 seasons on the multi-award-winning television series, Dragons' Den. Dickinson's leadership has been recognized many times, including Canada's Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, as well as PROFIT and Chatelaine's Top 100 Women Business Owners. Dickinson will advise Flybits on its marketing and growth strategy as the company continues its global expansion.

Alex 'Sandy' Pentland, Advisory Board Member
Professor Pentland directs MIT Connection Science. He is one of Forbes' "7 most powerful data scientists in the world". He sits on the Board of the UN Foundations' Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and co-led the World Economic Forum discussion in Davos that led to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). He has received the McKinsey Award from Harvard Business Review for his work in privacy. Professor Pentland will advise Flybits on its AI strategy and on forging data alliances with financial institutions, a critical component to offering customers more secure, personalized services.

Marshall Lux, Advisory Board Member
Marshal Lux is the Senior Advisor at BCG and has been a financial services consultant and practitioner for over 30 years. His past roles include Senior Partner at BCG, CRO of Chase, and Senior Partner at McKinsey. He is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard and is affiliated with other Schools. Mr. Lux first joined Flybits as an advisor in 2019 and will continue to consult the business on creating connections with large, enterprise banks through the formation of this formal board.

Sheldon Levy, Advisory Board Member
Sheldon Levy is a long-time champion of innovation and an experienced builder of startup ecosystems. He is one of the founders of the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship, where he now serves as Chair of the Advisory Board. Mr. Levy held past roles as Deputy Minister of the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development and President and Vice-Chancellor of Ryerson University. A leader in higher education with a passion for innovation, entrepreneurship, and the digital economy, Mr. Levy will advise Flybits on forging partnerships with both the private and public sectors.

Anatol von Hahn, Advisory Board Member
Anatol von Hahn is a venture capitalist, the Chairman of The Group Ventures, a Canadian based VC firm. He was the former CEO of Scotiabank's operations in Singapore, Chile, Argentina, and Mexico and the former head of its operations in Canada. He is an independent board member with over 30 years of board, chief executive officer, and executive management experience in North America, Latin America, and Asia. He will guide Flybits as it scales across new markets in Latin America and Asia.

Tim Karpoff, Advisory Board Member
Tim Karpoff will become Citigroup's Global Head of Strategy in January 2021. He has served as Barclays' Group Head of Strategy since 2018 where he provided top-level in-house strategy and corporate finance advice and support to the Group Executive Committee and to all of Barclays' businesses. Prior to Barclays he was a partner with Jenner & Block in Washington DC, specializing in financial services regulatory matters, with a focus on markets and trading. He also served for five years with the Obama administration in the financial services regulatory space. Karpoff will guide Flybits on strategy and the competitive banking landscape as it navigates the industry in the new economy.

The advisory board will complement Flybits' latest strategic investment round that includesPoint72 Venture, TD Bank Group, Mastercard, Citi Ventures, Reinventure (Venture Arm of Westpac—one of the largest Financial Institutions in Australia).

About Flybits
Flybits is the leading customer experience platform for the financial services sector, delivering personalization at scale. With the most advanced capabilities in the market, its enterprise-level solution brings relevant content, products, offers, and information to a bank's digital channels based on what each individual customer needs in the moments that matter. With Flybits, banks are able to design, launch, and measure data-driven consumer experiences that deliver the right information to the right customer at the right time, while preserving their privacy.

For more information, visit www.flybits.com.