Advisory on Digital Banking and Fintech

With extensive experience as Director of UX at N26—one of Europe’s most innovative neobanks—and as Fractional Director of Product at Paysafe, Paula Mariani brings deep insight into the evolving challenges faced by banks and fintech companies in the digital age.

As a seasoned Fractional Manager, she specialises in supporting fintechs during critical growth phases, from funding rounds to scale-up and exit strategies.

Together with a team of trusted fractional professionals, Paula helps financial institutions:

• Expand their product offering across the entire user journey

• Adapt to evolving regulations and emerging technologies, including AI

• Build high-performing digital banking product teams and future-ready ways of working

• Transition to modern banking infrastructures using third-party solutions

She also advises early-stage startups on defining product vision, prototyping compelling solutions, and structuring scalable teams ready to meet investor expectations during founding and VC rounds.

Today, Paula focuses on helping fintechs expand into new markets, drawing on her experience across Southeast Asia, Europe, Latin América and Africa. She supports neobanks and financial platforms in launching products that align with local user behaviours and regulatory frameworks. Alongside this, she continues to place high-performing Product Experience teams—now enhanced with UX AI Agents and AI-driven workflows—to accelerate growth, streamline operations, and ensure products are both innovative and deeply human-centred.