That was the vision of Gabriella Kindert, CEO of Greece’s first neobank. A business leader who bears no resemblance to a traditional banker. She doesn’t have her own office, doesn’t place much importance on titles, and views ego as an obstacle, not a leadership quality. During our meeting for her interview with Fortune Greece & Cyprus, she speaks with the passion of someone who knows exactly how difficult her endeavor is and, despite everything, has never considered lowering her standards. She doesn’t wait for everyone to be convinced before moving forward. She moves forward and lets the results do the rest.

Before taking over Snappi, Gabriella Kindert had already spent more than 20 years in international banking, investment management, private credit, and on supervisory boards. In Greece, however, she did not come to manage something that was already established. She came to build a bank from scratch and to put into practice a rather ambitious belief: that a country which for years had been following developments in the European financial system might one day begin to shape them.

Gabriella Kindert also talks about the trust that builds slowly, even as technology moves quickly; about the possibilities and unknown risks of artificial intelligence; and about the skepticism she has encountered along the way. She returns, however, time and again to the members of her team—those who need someone to trust them before they themselves gain the confidence to move forward. Because Gabriella Kindert wants to prove that a Greek bank can conquer Europe. But she also wants to ensure that the people who are “building” it will have grown alongside her.

You have “built” an international career in the banking sector, in investment and asset management, in private credit, and on supervisory boards, before taking on the challenge of creating a digital bank from scratch. What convinced you to make the transition from advising and overseeing organizations to “building” one of your own?

I think that life sometimes presents you with challenges, and—without knowing exactly why—your instinct pushes you to say “yes” or “no.” In this particular case, I followed my instinct. I came to Greece, had a very interesting discussion with the team members, and thought this was something truly exciting. So, I decided to accept the challenge, which turned out to be more difficult than I had imagined.
Building a bank is not just a technological endeavor; it’s a challenge involving culture, managing expectations, and coordinating various stakeholders. Above all, it’s about navigating the unknown. You don’t know what will happen, but you have to ensure that everyone is moving in the same direction.
Entrepreneurship, of course, was not new to me. At 22, I founded a venture capital firm in Hungary, and later built a hotel chain in Turkey from the ground up. When I had my second child, I handed over management of the company, as the constant travel between the Netherlands and Turkey was no longer sustainable. It was a choice I had to make as a woman and a mother, and I haven’t regretted it for a moment. I knew, therefore, what it meant to build something from the ground up. Snappi, however, brought all those experiences together in a challenge on an entirely different scale.

Having gained experience with financial institutions from both executive and supervisory roles, what views on leadership did you have to reevaluate when you yourself became the person ultimately responsible for every decision?

You need to shift your focus from carrying out tasks to aligning an entire team. For me, it’s not important to be right. What matters is that we move forward. Sometimes I’ll lose a battle; other times, I’ll carefully choose which battles are worth fighting.
When you build an organization with many different stakeholders, leadership becomes an exercise in balance and managing egos. An excellent analyst does not automatically make a good manager, just as a good manager does not automatically make a good leader. Each transition requires different skills. Many people continue to strive to be the best at what they already know, without realizing that circumstances have changed.
I strive to act as a servant leader. I want my people to grow and thrive, while I defend my team clearly and resolutely. I believe in integrity, substance, and zero ego. Ego is the enemy of leadership. Growth requires recognizing when you need to change and having the courage to do so.

Traditional banks are now investing heavily in digital services, while strong neobanks are already active in Europe. Beyond the technology, what specific value does Snappi offer its customers, and what truly sets it apart from the competition?

What sets us apart starts with a very simple principle: the bank should adapt to the customer’s life, not the customer to the bank’s processes. We don’t just want to transfer traditional banking into a pretty app. We want to eliminate unnecessary complexity and offer real value in the customer’s daily life.
Using their smartphone, customers can obtain a Greek IBAN and a digital debit card, make transfers, payments, and transactions without fees, use IRIS, and pay their bills.
At the same time, we offer savings accounts with a tiered interest rate of up to 2.25% with no lock-in period, cashback on purchases, and products such as Snappi Pay Later, which allows payment in four interest-free installments without a credit card.
With Cash Now, we offer access to small, instant loans via mobile, with a 0% interest rate and a clear, one-time administrative fee. We recently added S invest as well, so that customers can gain access to a professionally managed, personalized investment portfolio, starting with a relatively small amount. This is important to us because we don’t want to remain just an app that people use occasionally. We want to build a comprehensive banking relationship that supports them with payments, savings, financing, and—now—their investments.

I believe that we currently offer one of the best banking solutions on the Greek market, having secured full authorization from the ECB. However, products alone are not enough. True differentiation lies in the relationship you build with the customer—in transparency, simplicity, and trust. Trust isn’t earned just because someone downloaded your app. It’s built step by step, every time you prove to them that their bank is working in their best interest.
“I believe in integrity, substance, and zero ego. Ego is the enemy of leadership.”

Can a country like Greece, which is traditionally considered a peripheral player in the European financial system, establish itself as an exporter of banking innovation?

Absolutely. I have no doubt about it, and I never have. In a digital world, you can excel regardless of your background. You need to believe in yourself, dare to dream big, and surround yourself with people who believe those dreams can come true. This can happen in Greece, in Hungary, or anywhere else. I was born in Hungary under the communist regime and moved to the Netherlands when I was young. I didn’t come from a privileged background, nor did I have access to private education. Everything I’ve achieved has come from hard work and the belief that I could create something meaningful.
When I started working in venture capital, I founded a factory near the small town where I grew up. I saw the difference a business can make in the life of an entire community. Since then, I’ve deeply believed that it doesn’t matter where you were born or what happened to you, but what you choose to create out of it.
My personal mission is to instill in people the belief that they can become whatever they want to be. I’m already seeing people at Snappi thrive because we trust them, support them, and give them the tools to grow. That’s why I’m here.