USAA recruits fintech veteran for innovation outreach

Longtime digital banking executive Scarlett Sieber has been named the new head of business development for USAA Labs.

In the vice president-level position, Sieber will be primarily tasked with seeking out and developing relationships with fintech firms and leading the San Antonio-based bank’s relationship with larger tech companies. She began the position on Feb. 5 and is based in New York, reporting to USAA’s chief innovation officer, Zachary Gipson.

“It’s really about building out ecosystems, and working with organizations like accelerators and universities along the coasts,” Sieber said. “I’m also going to help be a larger voice internally for what Labs is doing.”

Sieber previously served in several tech roles at BBVA Compass, including senior vice president of open innovation and ecosystem builder and senior vice president, global business development for new digital businesses, and in both roles she forged relationships with fintechs. She also led BBVA's outreach to millennials in the U.S. and headed the North American region for BBVA's global fintech competition, Open Talent.

Last year, she left BBVA to take on the role of chief innovation officer at the $7.9 billion asset Opus Bank, where she oversaw strategic transformation and digital banking.

Sieber said USAA's “culture of service to members” also attracted her to the company.

“I’ve admired USAA for a long time,” she said. “I love tech and all the aspects of that, but I also love the nonprofit-type of work and helping others; USAA is such a mission-driven organization and really merges those two aspects.”

The technologies Sieber will focus on include artificial intelligence and regulatory technology, or regtech. They're “things I’m personally excited about," she said, "not only for USAA but for the entire industry.”