Mobile banking startup Varo Money, Inc. today announced the hire of Carl Gish as Chief Marketing Officer. Gish is a marketing and general management executive with more than 20 years of experience across well-known, high-growth consumer brands and e-commerce businesses, including Amazon, Unilever, Dyson, eBay and Affirm. He will lead all aspects of the company’s branding and marketing, and will work directly with CEO Colin Walsh to drive large growth in Varo’s customer base across multiple marketing channels and partnerships.
Gish’s hire comes just one month after Varo announced the close of a successful $45M Series B funding round that the company will use to further the explosive growth of its banking app, which improves the financial lives of its customers.
“Carl has joined Varo at an historic moment—both for the company and for the larger fintech and banking industry,” said Walsh. “We are in the process of building the bank of the future and Carl has the right experience to help us put Varo on the map as a leading disruptor in the banking industry.”
Before joining Varo, Gish served as CMO of farming startup Plenty, and, before that, as CMO of Affirm, another leading fintech company. Prior to that, he held a variety of roles at Amazon, including Vice President and General Manager of Electronics and Marketing Director. Gish also served as VP of Brand and Product Marketing at Unilever where he led marketing for brands such as Dove and Axe. At eBay he served as Vice President overseeing Global Delivery Experience where he launched both eBay Plus in Europe and eBay’s Global Delivery Program.
“Varo is a company with a great social mission, built by people who can make that purpose a reality,” said Gish. “I love the company’s vision and am excited to be working with Colin and the rest of this amazing team to build Varo into a well-loved brand that people rely on to help them get ahead financially.”
Varo is using mobile technology and consumer-centric design to change the future of banking. It offers customers an easy to use, all-in-one mobile bank account through The Bancorp Bank. Features include integrated banking, saving and lending products, along with budgeting and recommendation tools to help customers smooth cash flow and build savings—all from their phones.
In January, Varo closed a $45M Series B funding round led by existing investor Warburg Pincus and The Rise Fund, a global impact fund led by private equity firm TPG. Thirty additional participants — including angels, existing investors and management — were included in the funding round. Cumulatively, Varo has raised more than $78M in less than two years.
About Varo Money
Varo Money, Inc. is changing the future of banking with their mobile app: an easy to use all-in-one bank account offered through The Bancorp Bank that helps customers do more with their money. Varo is building a mobile banking experience that helps customers cover their expenses, pay their bills and build their wealth over time — so they can stop worrying about money and go live their lives. Unlike traditional banks or other fintech apps, Varo offers a complete solution with integrated deposit, budgeting, savings and lending products that aim to help customers bank with ease and achieve better financial outcomes. There’s no reason for a bank branch on every corner anymore: all that customers need is an iPhone to bank seamlessly. Based in San Francisco and privately held, Varo has raised $78M to date, led by Warburg Pincus. Varo Bank Accounts are provided by The Bancorp Bank, and deposits are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 through The Bancorp Bank. Varo Personal Loan and Varo Backup Line are offered by Varo Money, Inc. under state licenses, subject to application approval. For more information, please visit http://www.varomoney.com and follow Varo on Facebook @varomoney or Twitter @varomoney.
