Fador Taps Fintech Experts for Advisory Board

Bruce Fador, founder and managing partner of Fador Global Consulting, an advisory firm that helps startups and established companies develop and execute on growth strategies, has assembled an advisory board of industry experts to expand his network of consulting opportunities and to provide additional input to client consulting projects.

Fador’s aim is to be able to capitalize on marketing efforts and translate them into client wins. “The challenge was, how can I multiply my efforts and get a group of people together who each bring different perspectives,” to the same client challenges, he says. “I’m trying to expand beyond just me—and this expands my ability to deliver, and to be more of a one-stop shop, but without it being just me as that one stop.”

The board—which will formally meet once every month, and more if needed, in addition to frequent one-on-one calls between Fador and its members—comprises former Thomson Financial CEO Jeff Parker, who now serves on the boards of several companies; Prattle founder and CEO Evan Schnidman, who recently left the company following its acquisition by Liquidnet, where he served one year as head of data innovation; Sara Biller, executive director of go-to-market advisory firm Vantage Ventures and co-founder of the Fintech Sandbox accelerator; Mike Vien, a serial entrepreneur and currently CEO of digital wallet provider Wallit; and Bryce Tinmouth, CEO of boutique real estate investment firm Brickpoint Properties.

The intent is not only to tap into each individual’s network of contacts and activities that they can enlist Fador to help with, but also that each will bring their individual skillsets to any client project Fador is working on. For example, Parker potentially brings exposure to a steady stream of new business opportunities, but can also advise on financing issues, as well as running both startup and large, established companies. Schnidman, on the other hand, brings technology expertise; Biller can offer unrivaled knowledge of the fintech industry; and Vien brings experience of running cutting-edge technology companies.

Each will bring a different perspective to the challenges facing companies—especially in the current environment—such as how investor expectations may change, and how they can meet those new expectations, or whether they need to reposition their company, Fador says. Together, the board members’ experience adds up to much broader and more valuable expertise, spanning all facets of a company’s needs, than any one person could provide individually.

He can also use the board to gauge interest in certain areas and validate trends that the company can respond to. “These are people I like, and whose opinions I respect. I’ll create a forum where I can use them to reach out to their networks … while getting them proactively involved in my work to help me win more business, ensure we’re focusing on the right things, and [make sure] I have the right resources in place,” he says.

Fador is also open to expanding the resources available at the board level and bringing on more advisors where they can add specific expertise. “I’d like someone from the [financial] industry, and a private-equity person. So I have some targeted areas where I’m looking for the right individual, but I also want to be open and opportunistic. To me, you can’t have enough smart people,” he says.