Symeon Breen joins from Hello Soda following sale to US-based Acuant

Financial Services provider OpenMoney has prepared itself for a new period of expansion, with the appointment of Symeon Breen as its new Chief Technical Officer.

Symeon joins from a recent role as Vice President of Engineering at Acuant, the American digital identity platform that acquired Hello Soda, a Manchester-headquartered provider of ID verification, Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) solutions.

Symeon was part of the executive team that over four years took Hello Soda from startup to a multinational company servicing more than 175 countries and territories around the world. Symeon joins OpenMoney with an ambition to instil his trademark ingenuity, work ethic and strategic flair in spearheading a new epoch of growth for the financial services firm.

On joining OpenMoney, Symeon Breen commented:

“Throughout my career I’ve always been a firm believer in encouraging personal growth within teams and challenging myself - the role at OpenMoney provides the opportunity for me to do just that. OpenMoney is a fantastic, values-driven business that is set to ramp up its operations, somewhere my experience in driving rapid growth is likely to be of real benefit.”

“Anthony Morrow and the team at OpenMoney have such an inspiring and clear vision around democratising financial advice. My initial priorities will be to translate that bright vision into an actionable strategy which has key pillars and a clear direction, empowering the OpenMoney team to make rapid progress, reach new heights and widen its audience.”

Embarking on his new role from October 1, Symeon will work in a hybrid capacity between home and OpenMoney’s Manchester offices.

OpenMoney’s inclusive approach to financial services has seen the platform nominated for the ‘Leading Digital Platform Award’ at the 2020 Schroders UK Platform Awards, for ‘Financial Firm of the Year’ at the City Of Manchester Business Awards 2021 and ‘Best Personal Finance App Award’ at the British Bank Awards 2021.

Anthony Morrow, founder of OpenMoney, said:

“Symeon has an incredible reputation within the world of FinTech as a CTO who is a real vanguard of growth. His relentless work ethic and strategic-minded approach are exactly what OpenMoney requires as we look to bring our financial services to more people than ever before.”

Anthony added:

“We are on a mission to let people get the most out of their money and our appointment of Symeon is a key ingredient in our new recipe for advancement.”

Anthony Morrow’s passion for helping everyday people with their finances has also seen him launch a successful podcast, Get On The Money, which provides actionable insights on how all people can make their money work harder.