Nubank Names Ex-Visa Executive Rob Livingston as Global CFO

BRAZIL · BUSINESS

The finance chief who guided Nubank from a Brazilian fintech to one of the world’s largest digital banks is stepping aside — and his U.S.-veteran successor signals where the company is heading next.

A new global CFO from Visa

Nu Holdings, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, said on Monday that Rob Livingston will become its chief financial officer on July 13. He joins from Visa, where he most recently served as CFO for North America, the payment company’s largest business unit, after more than a decade there in roles spanning corporate finance, investor relations and leadership posts in Europe, China and Canada. Before Visa, he spent 18 years at Capital One, including as president of its Canadian operation and as a divisional CFO. He holds an economics degree from Yale.

As global CFO, Livingston will oversee Nubank’s finance organisation worldwide, including capital and liquidity planning, financial reporting, corporate development, tax and investor relations. Chief executive and co-founder David Vélez said the new CFO brings deep knowledge of global financial institutions and a clear view of the United States — a pointed reference to the bank’s ambitions there.

Guilherme Lago’s exit after seven years

Lago joined Nubank as finance director in 2019, when the company had about 20 million customers and operated only in Brazil, and became CFO in early 2021. The company now reports roughly 135 million customers across Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. He will move to a special-adviser role on the executive team and the audit and risk committee, focused on corporate development and strategic matters, and has said the bank is now “strong enough to lead in any cycle.” People familiar with the matter said Lago plans to pursue his own ventures.

Why the timing points to the United States

The choice of a U.S. financial-services veteran fits Nubank‘s stated plan to build a bank in the United States, an effort led by co-founder Cristina Junqueira. Alongside the global appointment, the company is creating a separate Brazil CFO role — to be named later and reporting to Livingston — that mirrors the local finance structures already in place in Mexico and Colombia. The reorganisation gives each major market its own finance lead while centralising global oversight.

What it means for investors

Lago was the bank’s main interface with the market, so a CFO change at a company of Nubank’s size is closely watched. Nu shares slipped more than 4% in after-hours trading in New York after the news, a typical reaction to leadership uncertainty even when a succession is planned. The company framed the move as an orderly, jointly designed transition rather than an abrupt departure, with Lago staying on through the handover.