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Aki Gynther, who has served as Alisa Bank's interim CFO and deputy CEO since March, has been appointed chief executive officer with immediate effect, becoming the permanent successor to Sampsa Laine, who left the role in February.
Gynther joined the Helsinki-based digital bank in January to prepare for CFO cover responsibilities and stepped into the management team following Laine's departure. His appointment ends four months of interim leadership and gives Alisa Bank a permanent chief executive as it seeks to turn a completed restructuring into profitable growth in SME financing.
He brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in Finland's financial sector, having held senior positions at S-Bank and OP Group, including CFO, chief risk officer, and business line leadership roles. The board said his background positions him to combine technology, business, and risk management as Alisa Bank scales its SME financing operations.
A turnaround completed, growth now the challenge
Gynther takes over as Alisa Bank emerges from a significant strategic reset. The company exited consumer lending and completed the sale of around three-quarters of its consumer loan portfolio to Sweden's Bankaktiebolaget Nordiska in January 2026 for EUR 51 million.
The transaction generated a EUR 2.4 million one-off gain but also resulted in EUR 0.8 million of impairment losses tied to the withdrawal from consumer finance.
The bank's 2025 results reflected a business in transition. Operating income declined 12% to EUR 14.9 million from EUR 17 million a year earlier, while operating expenses increased 7% to EUR 13.7 million. Result before non-recurring items and taxes fell to a loss of EUR 3.4 million, compared with a EUR 0.1 million loss in 2024.
The restructuring also reshaped Alisa Bank's balance sheet. The business customer loan portfolio declined 5% to EUR 45.4 million, while the consumer loan portfolio contracted 87% to EUR 13.4 million as the exit progressed. Total lending fell 61% to EUR 58.9 million at year-end 2025 from EUR 149.5 million a year earlier.
One outcome of the transformation was a substantially stronger capital position. The total capital adequacy ratio nearly doubled to 34.6%, while the liquidity coverage ratio stood at 1,210% at year-end 2025, giving the bank a well-capitalized platform for growth.
Growth momentum has been strongest in partner channels. Payments processed through Alisa Bank's financial software partner network increased by more than fivefold in 2025, and more than half of all invoice financing customers were acquired through those channels. The network now reaches around 160,000 SMEs, making partner distribution the bank's largest acquisition channel.
Board backs Gynther to execute growth strategy
Chairman Olli-Petteri Lehtinen said Gynther's experience at S-Bank and OP Group provides the right foundation for the company's next phase.
“We are pleased to welcome Aki Gynther as the new CEO of Alisa Bank. Aki has extensive experience and strong credentials in long-term, result-oriented business leadership, both at S-Bank and OP Group.
“We are confident that his background provides an excellent foundation for combining technology, business and risk management in a way that supports the company’s strategy of scalable growth in SME financing. Aki is well positioned to move Alisa Bank forward together with the rest of the management team.”
The appointment follows broader management renewal during 2026. Marko Ahola joined as chief risk and compliance officer in April, while Satu Uski became chief information officer on June 1.
Two additional appointments took effect alongside Gynther's promotion. Katja Vähäsilta was named deputy CEO, and Sari Salmi interim CFO, both covering for CFO Kukka Lehtimäki during parental leave. Lehtimäki briefly served as interim CEO following Laine's departure before Gynther assumed deputy CEO responsibilities in March.
All three appointments remain subject to the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority not raising objections.
What Alisa Bank is trying to accomplish
Alisa Bank's strategy centers on three priorities: growing SME invoice financing volumes, expanding Banking-as-a-Service partnerships, and launching services in Sweden.
The company expects to remain loss-making before non-recurring items and taxes during the first half of 2026, before returning to profitability in the second half, contingent on growth in corporate financing volumes. Achieving that target is now Gynther's immediate mandate.
His comments as acting CEO suggest the bank is betting heavily on embedded finance delivered through software platforms.
“In the future, business financing will no longer be a standalone service but a core part of a company’s infrastructure, much like accounting or payments.
“When financing is based on real-time financial data and is available where businesses already operate, decision-making fundamentally changes.”
The strategy is already visible in integrations with software platforms such as Netvisor and through Banking-as-a-Service partnerships. A partnership signed with Nordea in late 2025 gives entrepreneurs access to invoice financing through Alisa Bank's technology platform.
The company's stated objectives also include reducing its non-performing loan ratio and further improving operational efficiency, with cost-saving measures expected to become more visible during 2026.
Investor watchpoints
Goal | Detail |
Grow SME invoice financing volumes | Core strategic priority; partner channel payments grew over 400% in 2025 |
Expand Banking-as-a-Service partnerships | Nordea partnership live; additional software and financial sector partners targeted |
Launch BaaS in Sweden | Named as a strategic development priority in the 2025 financial statements bulletin |
Achieve profitable H2 2026 | Company guidance: loss-making H1, profitable H2, contingent on financing volume growth |
Reduce NPL ratio | Stated objective in 2025 financial review |
Strengthen cost structure | Cost-saving measures expected to become more visible in 2026 |
The permanent CEO appointment shifts investor attention from restructuring to execution.
The first test is profitability. Alisa Bank has guided for a profitable second half of 2026 before non-recurring items and taxes, making the coming quarters an early measure of whether the turnaround can translate into sustainable earnings.
The second is loan growth. The business customer portfolio declined 5% in 2025 to EUR 45.4 million, and reversing that contraction will be the clearest indicator of demand and execution.
Third is partner-channel scaling. Payment volumes through software partners grew more than 400% last year, but investors will be watching whether that momentum converts into larger financing volumes, recurring fee income, and profitable growth.
Finally, investors will be looking for progress in Sweden. Banking-as-a-Service expansion in the Swedish market was identified as a strategic priority in the company's 2025 financial statements bulletin, but execution milestones have yet to be disclosed.
For Gynther, the challenge is no longer restructuring the bank. That work is largely complete. The task now is proving that Alisa Bank's technology-led SME financing model can scale profitably.
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