Glen Allen fintech Koalafi has tapped Eric Kobe to be the company’s new president overseeing day-to-day operations.
Kobe started the new role May 13. Koalafi (pronounced “qualify”), which was previously known as West Creek Financial, announced the hire May 17.
Koalafi said Kobe’s expertise will allow it to accelerate innovation, enhance efficiency and deliver more financial products.
The 10-year-old company offers a platform for pay-over-time and other financing products and services for customers and merchants. The company has raised nearly $200 million, mostly through debt financing, according to Crunchbase.
Kobe was most recently CEO of Groundspeed, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based property and casualty insurance tech company that was acquired last year by Insurance Qualified. Previously, he was at Bay Area fintech Affirm in a variety of roles.
“Koalafi's dedication to transparency and consumer-centricity aligns perfectly with my vision for a more equitable financial landscape,” Kobe said in a statement.
In his new role, Kobe will report directly to Boomer Muth, who became CEO of the company last year, replacing co-founder Rob Finnegan, who moved to the role of chairman.
“[Kobe’s] alignment with our core values and extensive strategic leadership experience make him the ideal leader to help us dramatically scale our business in a way that’s authentic to our culture,” Muth said in a statement.
