Tech Edge hosted a fireside chat on at Money20/20 USA 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Chris Walters, Chief Executive Officer at Finastra. The in-person interview was joined by Editor-at-Large Jarrett Banks and they discussed the company’s strategic shift toward lending and payments, emphasizing AI-driven banking modernization, cloud adoption and new data opportunities while advocating human oversight in high-stakes financial decisions.
About Chris Walters
Chris Walters is Chief Executive Officer of Finastra, leading the company’s strategy, growth, and transformation. He is focused on strengthening Finastra’s role as a mission-critical partner to financial institutions worldwide, helping them modernize core systems, drive innovation, and compete with confidence in a rapidly evolving market. A growth-oriented leader with deep expertise across technology, data, and financial services, Chris has built his career scaling businesses, sharpening customer focus, and delivering durable financial performance.
He is known for aligning clear strategy with disciplined execution, bringing together product innovation, operational rigor, and commercial focus to create lasting impact. His leadership emphasizes customer centricity, accountability, strong culture, and building organizations designed to adapt and win over time. Chris brings extensive experience leading both public and private equity-backed companies through periods of transformation and growth.
Prior to joining Finastra, Chris served as CEO of Pluralsight, a leading workforce development platform. He was also CEO of Avantax, where he led a period of strategic and financial transformation, culminating in its acquisition by Cetera Financial Group. During his tenure, Avantax was recognized as a Great Place to Work in 2023.
Earlier in his career, Chris held senior leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer of Bloomberg’s Industry Verticals Group, Chief Operating Officer of The Weather Company, and CEO of Encompass Digital Media. He began his career in consulting, serving as a Partner at McKinsey & Company and later as a Senior Partner at Activate Consulting, advising technology, data, and investment firms on growth strategy and M&A.
Chris holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Vermont.
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About Finastra
Finastra provides the mission-critical software that powers thousands of financial institutions in more than 100 countries – including many of the world’s leading banks. Its technology helps financial institutions move money as well as extend and service loans that financial services businesses and consumers rely on every day. Backed by Vista Equity Partners, Finastra combines deep financial services expertise with secure, reliable and scalable technology to help customers modernize operations, accelerate innovation, and grow their businesses in a rapidly evolving industry. Fore more information visit Finastra.
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