Son of Elie Wiesel, former banking exec to chair Israeli fintech firm

Wiesel, within the role, will lead the fintech company towards becoming "industry standard," and will work on branding and presence while adding to strategic growth efforts.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Elisha Wiesel (photo credit: DR. JOSHUA SCHWIMMER)
Elisha Wiesel
(photo credit: DR. JOSHUA SCHWIMMER)
Former Goldman Sachs executive and son of Elie Wiesel, Elisha Wiesel, was named chairman of The Floor, a Tel Aviv-based fintech company. Wiesel is known for his Wall Street banking and risk management experience within the financial sector.
Wiesel will lead the fintech company towards becoming an “industry standard,” and will work on branding and presence, add to strategic growth efforts and hopefully use his existing network to drive partnerships between banks and new investors.
“We are incredibly fortunate to welcome Elisha to the team, and thrilled to have an esteemed industry figure and one of the world’s top banking technology experts share in our vision of shaping the bank of the future,” said CEO and co-founder of The Floor, Avi Cohen.
“Elisha’s wealth of knowledge and experience is invaluable, particularly at this stage in our growth. The addition to our leadership team comes at a pivotal time as COVID-19 has further accelerated the global banking industry’s need for innovative approaches to digital transformation in order to remain competitive and increase efficiency.”
At Goldman Sachs, Wiesel served as a senior Wall Street banking executive for over 25 years. He retired from the investment bank as its chief information officer (CIO), having overseen the operation of the company’s engineering division during a time of great technological expansion within the field.
To further his qualifications, Wiesel’s background in computer engineering is also paired with his experience trading as a quantitative strategist, working with risk management solutions until he eventually became the company’s chief risk officer – qualifications that would slide nicely into chairing a fintech company.
Following retirement, Wiesel served as a tech consultant for Michael Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential campaign and has focused his philanthropic efforts on Holocaust memory, inner-city programs and social justice reform.
“Coming from one of the most innovative, technology-forward banks in the world, I look forward to this next chapter in my professional capacity,” said Wiesel. “I believe The Floor has transformative potential to impact the financial services industry.
“I’ve lived the problems that CIOs and CTOs [chief technology officer] face, and can say with confidence that The Floor’s ambition to leverage key decision-making data from a network of global banks will enable financial services institutions to solve a wide array of business challenges, accelerate time-to-market for new technology, and reduce costs.”