Rakefet Russak-Aminoach is a former bank executive who has decided to try her hand at being a financial technology innovator and leader.
As managing partner at the venture capital firm Team8 in Israel since 2020, she established its fintech business and now helps to build and support startups. She closely collaborates with entrepreneurs on everything from business formation to go-to-market strategies, in addition to holding board seats in a number of portfolio companies as they build scale. She is also a member of Team8's steering committee, where she plays a pivotal role in the group's strategic vision. She is responsible for engaging with institutional and private investors, including numerous global banks.
Russak-Aminoach is a sought-after speaker. As an expert in fintech and banking trends, she regularly travels around the world to share her insights with executives.
"When I joined, the idea was to build Team8's fintech arm, which was a brand-new experience for everyone, myself included. Team8 previously operated exclusively in the cybersecurity and enterprise tech domains, and now we had to replicate their successes," she said.
"This was no small feat, primarily because Israel has an impressive track record in cyber, and Team8 was founded by members of Israel's elite military intelligence unit — people who eat, sleep and breathe the cybersecurity world," she added. "It was actually building a startup from scratch, and I needed to bring employees, partners and investors on board. Our primary objective was to not only create a fintech domain, but also craft a group dynamic in Team8 that didn't exist before."
Russak-Aminoach previously served as president and CEO of Leumi Group and its Bank Leumi unit between 2012 to 2019. Under her leadership, Leumi established itself as Israel's leading bank in terms of profits and market capitalization. She established LeumiTech, a technology arm of the bank, and launched Pepper, Israel's first and only neobank. Her work at Leumi resulted in a Harvard Business School case study, "Leading Bank Leumi into the Future." Bank Leumi has significantly influenced the Israeli banking system and pioneered its digitization.
