Gary Maier
Managing PrincipalGary Maier is the Managing Principal of Fintova LLC. He specializes in digital transformation, business-technology strategy, technology architecture, data modeling, organization, and delivery within financial services. Gary has served as Head of Asset Management Technology at UBS; as Chief Information Officer of Investment Management at BNY Mellon; and as Head of Global Application Engineering at Blackrock. At Blackrock, Gary was instrumental in the original concept, architecture, and development of Aladdin, an industry-leading portfolio management platform. He has additionally served as CTO at several prominent hedge funds and as an advisor to fintech companies. Gary is a frequent lecturer at major industry conferences in the US and abroad, and has been regularly interviewed by the financial technology press. He has also authored numerous articles and white papers published worldwide. Gary has a B.A. in Public Policy and Economics from Duke University.
Thalius Hecksher
Chief Business Development OfficerThalius Hecksher is Global Head of Business Development at Fintova. He is a dynamic and results-driven executive with a proven track record of leading high-performing teams to drive growth and operational excellence in the financial services industry. Spanning a 25-year career, Thalius brings considerable expertise in investment management and servicing, coupled with a strategic mindset and passion for delivering exceptional client experiences. He is especially adept at building and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders, driving revenue growth, and implementing innovative solutions. Thalius has successfully grown businesses globally in more than 175 cities. As Global Managing Director and Chief Business Development Officer at Apex Fund Services, he was instrumental in the accelerated growth of the company from niche Bermudan-based fund administrator to now one of the top 5 players in the industry. Today, Apex has over 40 global offices and a market cap exceeding $8 billion. He has also served at Thomson Reuters, spearheading the European growth of Linedata, and helped drive global business development at Trident Trust Group, reporting directly into the Executive Committee. Having relocated to Florida from Ireland in 2012, Thalius envisioned the state as a gateway to the Americas for financial services. He has since been a key contributor behind the evolution of Florida into “Wall Street South,” and maintains influential relationships with local business and government leaders, alike.
Keith Bowie
Practice LeaderKeith Bowie is a Practice Leader specializing in trading technology, information risk, and cybersecurity. He has over 25 years of experience in building and leading global technology teams for Tier-1 financial services firms. Mr. Bowie previously served as Chief Information Officer at Scotiabank U.S., where he drove significant technology programs in support of business transformation, information risk controls, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, Keith was a catalyst for cultural change, partnering with business leaders to drive SDLC modernization, including the adoption of agile, DevOps, and automated testing. Prior to being named as the U.S. CIO, Keith led technology for Global Wholesale Operations and Global Commodities Trading. He previously led commodities IT at UBS, in addition to serving in a variety of technology roles at other firms, primarily focused on trade execution, risk, and operations functions across brokerage, fixed-income, and commodities. Keith is a research scholar within the Digital Financial Services Observatory at Columbia University, where he’s developing a process-based Cybersecurity Risk Management Framework for Digital Financial Services. Keith is also a member of the Board of Directors for the New York Metropolitan Chapter of ISACA. He holds a BSc in Electronic and Microprocessor Engineering from the University of Strathclyde.
Cindy Caruso-Aquila
Practice LeaderCindy is a Practice Leader specializing in Human Resources. She is a strategic HR leader with a track record of improving business results through the deployment of the right organizational design and leadership teams. During her tenure at top-tier companies in financial services, consumer products, and industrial manufacturing, Cindy has spearheaded M&A and transformation initiatives, coached executives to make tough decisions regarding effective and efficient management structures, and helped leaders differentiate in talent development and succession. Previously, Cindy served as Global Head of Human Resources for BNY Mellon Investment Management. She has also held HR leadership roles with ING Investment Management (now Voya), CIT Group, and Citigroup, and led the HR due diligence, sale, and subsequent integration of Citigroup Asset Management into Legg Mason. Earlier in her career, Cindy held roles with Pepsi-Cola Company and with Ingersoll-Rand Company. Cindy earned her B.S. degree in Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. She is based in New York and is active with several local charitable organizations. She is also a member of the Leadership Committee of the Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal for the Archdiocese of New York and a past Development Chair and member of the Board of Trustees for Cristo Rey New York High School in Harlem. She and her husband live in New Jersey and have two young children.
George Kaouris
Practice LeaderGeorge Kaouris specializes in private credit and real estate investment platforms. He most recently served as Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Finitive, a global alternative investments financial technology platform. Prior to joining Finitive, Mr. Kaouris was the President of Credit Suppliers, an online lending platform in the construction supply chain. He also served as Managing Director and the Head of Commercial and Residential Real Estate Operations at Five Mile Capital Partners, an alternative asset management company. While at Five Mile, Mr. Kaouris build and refined platforms for commercial real estate ($6 billion), fixed rate commercial loan originations ($4 billion) including CMBS, RMBS, residential whole loans, and fix and flip. Prior to Five Mile Capital Partners, Mr. Kaouris was responsible for the asset management of structured products at New York Life Structured Finance. Mr. Kaouris also worked at Greenwich Capital Markets where he instituted best practices for managing warehouse lines and contract finance functions. Mr. Kaouris holds a BBA in Accounting from Baruch College, The City University of New York.
Michael Reap
General CounselMichael Reap joined the Fintova team in 2020. Michael brings strong legal, operational, and deal making experience, as well as a broad background in venture capital, technology, energy, power, manufacturing, financial services, health care, food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and engineering, and professional consulting services. A seasoned legal and business executive, Mr. Reap has served as the chief legal officer and compliance officer for several multi-national companies. He has extensive experience leading complex corporate, financial, and restructuring transactions (including domestic and cross-border, M&A, capital raises, secured and unsecured financings, ESOPs and equity incentive plans, spin-offs, joint ventures, securities offerings, and other investment transactions) for global companies in transactions valued in excess of $30 billion. His extensive background in M&A, corporate financings, regulatory compliance, securities laws, risk management (including in litigation, contract negotiations, insurance, and fiduciary advisory services for Boards of Directors), intellectual property management, operational turnarounds, and HR matters make him a valuable resource for Fintova and the clients we serve. Mr. Reap earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and French, magna cum laude, and a Juris Doctor from Washington & Lee University, where he was a Law Review editor.
Jon Banford
Practice LeaderJon Banford is an accomplished technology and digital transformation leader with 25+ years of experience in successfully building, leading, and transforming IT organizations for Tier-1 financial services firms. His activities have spanned front, middle, and back office enterprise technology estates. Jon was most recently the Global Head of Treasury and Asset & Liability Management Trading Technology at UBS, with responsibility for defining IT strategy, driving organizational transformation, and renewing technology assets through innovative technologies, including cloud, AI/ML, Big Data, DevOps, Blockchain, distributed architectures, and micro-services. Prior to that, Jon led Commodities Trading, Operations, Legal, Compliance, and Finance global technology functions, and served as the COO for IT Americas. He additionally managed enterprise-wide initiatives, such as the build out of a $6B hedge fund, the Swiss National Bank bailout following the 2008 financial crisis, and KYC/AML activities. Jon effectively mentors high-performing teams through a compelling vision, inspiration, and empowerment. Jon received his BA in Science and Mathematics from University of Connecticut.