About us

Ezequiel Szafir Holcman is the CEO of Openbank. He joined our project from Luxembourg, where he was Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of Amazon Europe. His professional career has led him to work in Argentina, the USA, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and now Spain.

He was a consultant with Arthur D. Little in Buenos Aires and Rotterdam, and with McKinsey & Co in Amsterdam. In the Netherlands, he was also Head of Strategy and Operations at Nike Europe and Vice President at Liberty Global. In Spain, he was a Partner in Financial Advisory Services at Deloitte and CEO of the Cortefiel Group

He holds a Ph.D in Psychology from the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands, a master's degree in Business from the Boston College ADL School of Management, and a degree in Engineering from UADE. He was also a research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Technology and Industrial Policy Development. He has also studied Literature and Narrative at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Ezequiel began his professional career as a freelance journalist for the Clarín and Ámbito Financiero newspapers, and published many articles in local and international publications.

In addition to his work in the digital world, Ezequiel is passionate about books. Not only does he read them, but also collects them. He has written two novels, Marina de Buenos Aires and Paris 2041, published by Ediciones B - Penguin Random House. He has piloted gliders since he was 16, and, like many bank employees, is a member of the Openbank Runners' Club.

Patricia is the Chief Digital Officer at Openbank. She joined after a long career in digital fashion retail. She began her professional career at KPMG in Barcelona within the Audit division. She then joined Carrefour as Deputy CFO before returning to KPMG, working in Madrid and London, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. She then joined Deloitte Spain as a Strategy and Operations Consultant for retail and consumer companies.

Patricia joined the Cortefiel Group in 2009 as Head of E-Commerce. From a start-up point of view, she created and developed the online business of its 5 brands in 25 markets over six years. She was in charge of defining the group's online strategy, recruiting the team, launching the various online brands (Cortefiel, Pedro del Hierro, Springfield, Women's Secret, and Fifty Factory), defining and launching the omnichannel strategy (in-store delivery, online sale in physical store), as well as developing the business internationally.

She holds a degree in Economics and Business from the University of Barcelona (Educational Cooperation Programme), as well as an Executive MBA from ESADE. She is also an official member of the Spanish Accounting Registry. In the digital world, she has taken part in the ISDI Digital Business Executive Programme, and is an active speaker on various national and international digital forums.

Because of her love for fashion, Patricia keeps a blog on modaes.es, where she writes about digital and e-commerce topics focusing on the world of fashion.

In her free time, she enjoys travelling and sports, particularly running and skiing.

Cristóbal is the Chief Technology and Operations Officer at Openbank. He holds a degree in Electronic Physics from the University of Seville, where he also completed a Ph.D.

He started his professional career in the field of Technology within the public sector (Public Finances Administration) and the private sector (ENDESA). He later joined Ibermática, where he led technology consultancy projects in different industries.

After joining Santander, he worked in strategic planning, holding various positions within corporate departments of the Technology and Operations division. In particular, he was involved in technological transformation projects as part of the Group´s mergers & acquisitions activity. This has enabled him to acquire a significant knowledge in project and team management in countries such as Spain, UK, and Brazil.

In 2010, he was appointed Head of Global Direct Banking Technology and Operations, heading up the international expansion strategy and management of online banks in Spain (Openbank) and the UK (Cahoot).

Cristóbal is married, has two children, and loves to spend his free time with his family and friends. He is passionate about the sea, and likes to visit and enjoy Southern Spain whenever he can. He enjoys all sports, particularly tennis and football.

Leticia Pacho leads the human resources function at Openbank. She actively collaborates with all areas of the organization to develop the expansion and transformation project that enables us to maintain our identity as a digital start-up and become an international bank. Her professional career has led her to work in Spain, the USA, and Mexico.

She holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Salamanca, studying for one year at University College Cork, in Ireland. She then undertook a master's degree in Strategic Human Resources Management at the University of Madrid. She began her professional career in 2009 as an Organizational Consultant at Philip Morris International. She then worked as a Consultant in projects focusing on talent and remuneration for Spanish as well as international clients at Mercer Consulting.

In 2011, she joined the Santander Group, working in International Private Banking in Miami, where she focused particularly on training and career development plans. She then worked as a human resources manager in Wholesale Banking for Santander in Mexico. She was in charge of integral management of human resources, as well as of the transformation of the department, until she joined Openbank in 2016.

She is passionate about music and art, and likes to go to exhibitions and museums in her spare time. She loves cooking experiments, and makes use of every opportunity to enjoy her favourite hobby: travelling.

Marina Monasterio is the Head of Legal Advisory at Openbank, and joined us from the Santander Group.

Marina worked in Santander Consumer Finance division, and then in Santander Group Corporate Legal Advisory Services as Head of Private Customers, Multi-channel, and Innovation Department. Among other projects, she has been part of digitalization processes, the launch of innovative processes and products, and corporate regulatory projects.

She was previously the Head the Legal Advisory and Secretary at BNP Paribas Real Estate and Mortgage Cybermanagement. Prior to that, she worked in the Financial Law Department at Landwell, PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Marina holds a degree in Law and Business Management from the CEU. She is a member of the Madrid Bar and holds a Master's degree in Legal Advisory from the Instituto de Empresa.

She has three children, and her hobbies include travelling and sports, particularly tennis and skiing.

Gonzalo holds a degree in Economics and a master's degree in Financial Markets from UAM. He has also undertaken a programme in Management Development from IESE.

His background is predominantly in Project & Leveraged Finance businesses, having held senior positions within Wholesale Banking in Banesto, where he worked for more than 15 years. He moved from wholesale banking to working in retail banking as Head of the Self-Employed and Small Business segment, contributing his analytic view to a purely retail business.

After the merger of Banesto and Santander, and following a short period as Head of Trade & Export Finance for Iberia, he joined Openbank as Chief Risk Officer, where he went from generating business to controlling the financial and non-financial risks incurred or potentially incurred by the bank.

Running is his main hobby. He has recently taken part in his first marathon together with his colleagues in the Openbank Runners' Club.

Eva leads the Compliance department at Openbank. She joined Openbank in January 2016, to help us to promote adherence to good practice standards, principles, and values and to comply with supervisions requirements.

Eva holds a degree in Law and Business from the University San Pablo - CEU, as well as a master's degree in Business Law from the Garrigues study centre.

Her professional career started at CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo law firm (Madrid). In 2003 she joined the Santander Group, where she worked as head of Legal & Compliance for Santander Consumer Finance, S.A. and was in charge of the legal advisory services for wholesale banking at Banesto.

Eva is married, has two children and a dog, and is passionate about live music, skiing, and travelling in her free time.

Mateo Rodríguez-Braun is Head of Products at Openbank. He joined Openbank in January 2016 after working internationally for Santander, both in the UK and Spain, as well as in his previous career in auditing and consultancy.

His professional experience started in auditing at Arthur Andersen in 1998. He then worked as a Consultant at Bearing Point, Deloitte, and McKinsey & Co. As a Consultant, he was involved in strategic definition and international expansion projects. He joined Santander in 2010, working in the Commercial Banking Division, where he had the opportunity to lead projects in Europe, the United States, and Latin America. He has also worked in Santander UK as Head of Private Customer segment and in Santander Spain as Head of Transformation.

He holds a degree in Business from CUNEF and a master's degree in Business Administration by the University of New York - Stern School of Business.

He loves reading, is currently studying Language and Literature at UNED, and has published a novel: Las cenizas fértiles.

Pablo Solís has been the CFO of Openbank since November 2015. He holds a degree in Business from the University of Madrid (Educational Cooperation Programme), and has also taken the Executive Banking Programme at INSEA Business School (Fontainebleau - France).

Pablo has a solid background in finance and regulation, and an in-depth knowledge of risk processes, operations, and compliance.

He started his professional career at Arthur Andersen / Deloitte as Senior Auditor in the financial industry. Even though his main clients were large banking groups, he also had the opportunity to audit insurance, leasing, and renting companies, as well as asset managers. He then worked in investment banking as a Senior Key Analyst, covering British banks and European investment banks at BBVA, and then as a Financial Planning Manager at Barclays, where he was responsible for the bank's costs and investments in Spain.

In 2009 he joined the Santander Group, where he has held various senior positions in the General Intervention and Management Control Corporate division, which enabled him to gain experience in the implementation of global projects and management of international teams.

Pablo loves travelling, films, and sports, particularly football and swimming. He likes to spend his free time with his family and friends.

Javier is the Chief Marketing Officer at Openbank. He joined us from the Vocento media group, where he was Managing Director in charge of classified ads and online transactional business.

Javier began his professional career in the Continente, Carrefour group, where he worked for more than 10 years in the Management Control division. Among other projects, he was involved in its flotation on the IBEX 35, in the commercial department, and as Head of the CEO's technical staff.

In 2000, he started working in the digital world in Terra, Telefónica Group, leading the definition and implementation of the E-Comm strategy in more than 17 countries. He later become Head of E-Comm in LATAM and Spain, and was in charge of Telefónica's digital strategy.

He holds a degree in Economics from UAM and an MB from IESE. He also teaches Digital Strategy and Marketing at ISDI and The Valley, and is a frequent speaker on digital forums and events.

He loves rugby and is a member of the Openbank Runners' Club. Javier, a former rugby player with CD Arquitectura and Alcobendas, has been a rugby coach for more than 10 years, and currently coaches the Alcobendas youth teams. He was also the club treasurer during the season in which the club won the first division championship. He is married and has 4 children - three of whom are triplets.

Martín Villaverde began his professional career in Toronto, where he worked for one of the main marketing agencies in 3D printing projects, using Arduino prototypes. Since mid-2016, Martín has been part of the Openbank team in the Technology and Operations department.

He holds a degree in Bioresource Engineering from McGill University, and also studied Finance at the University of Toronto. While studying, he specialized in the development of biological materials and in the influence of consumer perception on sustainable design. At McGill, he was also a member of Engineers Without Borders, leading projects to encourage sustainable thinking and promote life cycle analysis. Martín is a member of the Openbank Runners' Club, and in his free time travels to take part in half marathons.

Elena is one of the latest Openbank recruits. She has been involved in the project since October 2016. She is passionate about marketing and advertising, and took her first steps at Santander, where she worked in the corporate marketing department. She then joined Tapsa | Y&R and British Telecom, where she worked in various projects.

Elena has a multi-disciplinary profile. She holds a degree in Teaching from La Salle University, a degree in marketing and advertising from Cardiff University, a Master's degree in commercial management, marketing, and communication from the Escuela de Empresa, and a degree in psychology from UEM. In addition to her passion for marketing, she loves surfing and travelling. Elena has just joined the Openbank Runners' Club.

Neil holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Edinburgh, where he wrote his degree thesis on the evolution of urban public spaces in the Madrid old centre. He is currently part of the Santander Group future leaders programme, and it was through this programme that he joined the Product team in Openbank in 2016.

Previously, Neil worked in Santander Consumer Finance in the United Kingdom, where he held various positions in sales, marketing, and strategic projects, including the launch of a joint venture motor finance company, and working with a partner car manufacturer to develop and launch an omnichannel new car purchase platform. Before that, Neil also worked in the Real Estate Asset Management Division of Santander Spain.

After completing her studies in Portugal, Jana travelled to Kenya, where she taught English for several months. On her return, she began to work in one of the largest consultancy firms in the world, Accenture, joining its Prague office. She took part in process reengineering projects in large European banks, travelling between Prague, Bucharest, and Istanbul. Six years ago, she decided on a change in career direction and moved to Madrid. She has been a part of Santander Group since 2010. In July 2016, she joined the Openbank team to take part in the digital transformation of processes that have the greatest impact on Openbank customers' everyday lives.

Borja is passionate about Marketing, a keen sportsman, and extremely detail-oriented.

While studying his degree in Business, he started his professional career in a US company in Milan, where he discovered his other great passion - fashion. In 2014, he completed his Master's degree in Marketing and Commercial Management at Esic Business School. He has been contributing his efforts and enthusiasm to the marketing department at Openbank for almost three years now.

Andreea Pavel began her professional career in legal practise, in the Community and Competition Law departments (Bird&Bird and Allen&Overy), She then worked in the Legal and Compliance divisions of private companies (Heineken and LeasePlan).

Andreea joined the Legal Advisory team at Openbank in March 2017. She holds a degree in Law from the University of Madrid, a master's degree in European Union Law, and also undertook the Compliance programme at the IE Law School.

Manuel Fraile holds a degree in Business Administration in English from the University Carlos III in Madrid. He joined the Openbank team in July 2016, in the financial accounting department.

Travelling and learning more about new cultures is one of his greatest passions, which led him to spend two years abroad during his time at university.

The first year, he went to the Netherlands, where he studied in the HAN University of Applied Sciences, taking part in the organisation of a charity concert.

He spent his final year at university in the United States, at the University of Arkansas, where he integrated perfectly into a new educational system, graduating with honours. His main hobby is sports, particularly extreme sports, which he enjoys whenever he can. Finally, one of Manuel's main goals in life is becoming an entrepreneur and start his own business.

María is a final-year student in Business Administration in English degree. She has studied at the University of Carlos III in Madrid, and spent two of her university years in Victoria (Canada) and Aarhus (Denmark).

While studying, she has held placements in various international companies, where she proved her enthusiasm, interest, and passion for the business world.

She has been a part of the Openbank team since early 2017, supporting the Business Development department.

In her free time, she enjoys travelling, sports, and volunteering (including a stay in India). María is one of the latest newcomers to the Openbank Runners' Club.

Alicia began her professional career in the European Commission, working in the Protocol and Organisation department. She has been a part of our Human Resources team since September 2016.

An alumna of the French Lycée of Madrid, she is a graduate in Political Science from UAM, and spent one year in Illinois, USA. She currently works in Human Resources whilst undertaking her master's degree in Corporate and Institutional Communication, specializing in HR, Labour Advisory Services, and Occupational Risk Prevention at ENyD.

Alicia regards herself as a positive, adventurous dreamer, whose main hobby is travelling and experiencing new cultures. She also loves dancing and music, and has volunteered for years with NGOs and associations.

Gloria Sáez holds a degree in Audiovisual Communication by the University of Seville and spent the final year of her degree at the University of Minho in Portugal, where she discovered her passion for marketing.

She decided to specialise in this field by taking a Master's degree in Digital Marketing, Communication, and Social Media at the University Camilo José Cela.

Before joining Openbank, she worked in the press departments of various international music and film festivals, as well as in one of Spain´s main food distribution companies as a Photographer and Publicist.

In October 2015, she joined our team, where she works as Webmaster and Content Manager. She is addicted to films and TV series, a tireless traveller, and a music lover.

She believes in continuous learning, particularly because the audiovisual world changes and evolves all the time. She is a sportswoman, and used to be a member of the Spanish swimming and tennis federations. In her free time, she currently writes in her blog, Eres Algo Inesperado, about apps, useful and interesting websites, and online shopping experience. Give her a puzzle, and she'll move the world to find the answer.