Finastra announces leadership transition: welcoming Chris Walters as new CEO

Finastra, a global provider of financial services software applications, announced a significant leadership transition. After nearly a decade of transformative leadership, Simon Paris will step down from his role as Chief Executive Officer. Chris Walters has joined Finastra and will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer.

Chris brings a wealth of experience from senior executive leadership positions, driving innovation and scaling technology companies. He recently served as CEO of Pluralsight and Avantax, a company within Financial Services, where he orchestrated significant performance improvement and the company’s successful sale. Prior to Pluralsight and Avantax, Chris served in a variety of leadership roles, including being a Partner at McKinsey & Company and the COO of Bloomberg Industry Verticals Group.

On his appointment, Chris said, “I’m excited to join Finastra at this pivotal moment in its journey and am impressed by the significant progress that has been made during Simon’s leadership. I look forward to working with the talented team to drive sustainable growth and continue to deliver more value to our customers, team members, and investors.”

Under Simon’s stewardship, the company has achieved remarkable milestones, including:

• Leading the charge in Open Finance, following the merger of Misys and D+H in 2017 to form Finastra
• Building a loyal customer base of over 8,000 clients in 130 countries, including 45 of the world’s top 50 banks
• Achieving recognition as a leader in Generative AI, with all employees upskilled and ~50 capabilities in progress from ideation to production stages
• Garnering extensive market accolades, including multiple product, culture, and leadership awards, and being named the #1 Banking Technology company, the #2 Financial Technology company, and appearing in the top 15 Software companies worldwide in 2024 alone
• Delivering record financial performance and double-digit Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growth

As Finastra embarks on its new strategic sprint in 2025, the company is well-positioned for continued success. During the transition period, Simon and Chris will work closely together to ensure a smooth handover. Simon reflected on his tenure, saying, “This journey with Finastra has been a privilege. Chris is a seasoned professional, and I am honored to ‘pass the baton’ to him. I leave incredibly proud of what Finastra has achieved so far and excited for the company’s future under Chris’s leadership.”