Inside Marqeta’s Culture, Risk-Taking and European Growth

Deanna Fernandez from Marqeta joins FF News in the Tattoo Studio at Fintech Talents 2025 for a chat about why she’s so committed to the company. Fernandez then explains why she joined Marqeta just over seven years ago, at a time when the company was still very new to Europe. Marqeta was already well established in the US, but Europe was largely unbuilt. Coming from a previous role at a company that could handle issuing and BIN sponsorship in-house but not the processing side, she saw first-hand how few issuer processors there were, and how few really understood or supported fintechs. Joining Marqeta early in its European journey felt like a rare chance to help shape that story from the ground up.

When asked why this kind of mission appeals to her personally, Fernandez talks about the pace of change in financial services and began her career in a bank and is quick to say banks do have innovation and lots of smart ideas. The challenge, in her experience, is getting those ideas executed. What energises her at Marqeta is seeing ideas actually turned into live products and propositions, both internally and through clients, rather than staying stuck on a slide deck. That constant cycle of ideas and delivery is what keeps her motivated.

Fernandez is also candid about the personal risk involved as she didn’t join Marqeta in her twenties and knew it would mean hard work and a big step away from the perceived safety of traditional banking. What made it worth it, she says, is the culture of the team around her. Many companies claim to be “people first” or “culture first”, but in her view Marqeta genuinely lives those values day to day. The way colleagues support each other at Marqeta and pull in the same direction has been a key reason she’s stayed.

To illustrate that culture, she shares a small but telling detail: at Marqeta’s headquarters, meeting rooms aren’t just called “Meeting Room 1” or “Room A”. They’re named after places and landmarks, and the same approach is used in the London office. It’s a subtle sign that thought and personality go into the working environment, not just the technology. The conversation wraps up with that for Fernandez, Marqeta is not just an employer but a long-term, values-driven commitment.

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