Sharegain Names Ronny Maate CPO and Promotes Ben Smith to CAIO, Setting the AI-Native Standard for Retail-Ready Securities Lending

WHY THIS MATTERS: As the industry expands securities lending from an institutional niche to a rapidly scaled, retail-accessible product, the complexity of platform management and risk optimization increases exponentially. The simultaneous appointment of a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and a seasoned Chief Product Officer (CPO) is a clear strategic response to this trend. It signals that simply providing a product is no longer sufficient; success hinges on embedding sophisticated AI into core business functions like revenue optimization and operational automation. This C-suite structuring tells the reader that the future of white-labeled financial services demands platforms that offer “native AI” solutions, built from the ground up for explainability and governance, rather than merely being ‘bolted on.’ This integrated approach is essential for financial institutions aiming to scale their programs across global capital markets.

Sharegain, a leading global capital markets fintech, announced two senior appointments to accelerate product velocity and platform execution. Ronny Maate joins as Chief Product Officer (CPO), and Ben Smith is promoted to Chief AI Officer (CAIO).

As securities lending scales with retail participation, financial institutions are choosing platforms that are API-first, enterprise-ready and built to compound. Sharegain’s expanded C-suite aligns behind one mandate: ship faster, scale globally, and turn AI into visible client value.

Product at scale

Maate brings 20+ years leading B2B and B2C fintech platforms used by hundreds of millions of end clients. She will own product strategy, design and delivery, with AI integration a core part of that remit.

Ronny Maate, CPO said: “The market is choosing platforms that pair enterprise-grade resilience with relentless iteration. Sharegain already has the stack; my job is to compound its impact for our clients and the millions they serve, and I’m excited to work with Ben to continue meaningfully embedding AI within our product.”

AI with domain depth

A Sharegain original with a decade building the company’s securities lending technology, Smith will embed AI across revenue optimisation, liquidity and operations, grounded in governance, explainability and responsible deployment from day one.

Ben Smith, CAIO, commented: “AI should amplify expertise. We’re putting it to work where it moves the needle most: revenue optimisation, operational automation and an elevated client experience, built into the platform, not bolted on.”

Boaz Yaari, CEO & Founder of Sharegain, added: “Clients are rolling out retail-ready securities lending at serious scale. That demands a modern stack and AI that is native to the platform. Ronny and Ben sharpen our edge as we set the benchmark for how institutions launch, scale and run securities lending programs globally.”

FF NEWS TAKE: The formal creation of a Chief AI Officer role with a mandate focused specifically on domain-intensive areas like revenue optimization sets a key benchmark for niche capital markets fintech. This structure moves the needle by confirming that the twin goals of global scale and enterprise readiness are now inseparable from integrated AI governance. The next critical step to monitor will be the measurable, real-world impact of this specialized C-suite focus on customer value, specifically tracking the reported before-and-after metrics for clients using the new AI-driven capabilities for operational automation and revenue.

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