Rakefet Russak-Aminoach is a former banking executive who decided to take on the challenge of becoming an innovator and leader in financial technology.
As Managing Partner at Israeli venture capital firm Team8 since 2020, he is currently involved in building and supporting startups in fintech. He works closely with entrepreneurs on everything from business formation to go-to-market strategy and serves on the boards of portfolio companies as they scale. He is also a member of Team8’s Steering Committee and plays a pivotal role in the group’s strategic vision. He is responsible for engaging with institutional and private investors, including a number of global banks.
Russak-Aminoach is a sought-after speaker. As an expert on fintech and banking industry trends, she regularly travels the world to share her insights with executives.
“When I joined the company, my goal was to build out the fintech division of Team8, which was a completely new experience for everyone, including me. Team8 had previously only operated in the cybersecurity and enterprise technology space, and we needed to replicate their success,” she said.
“This was no small feat, mainly because Israel has an incredible track record in cyber and because Team8 was founded by members of Israel’s elite military intelligence unit – people who live and work in cybersecurity,” she added. “This was really building a startup from scratch, and I had to bring employees, partners and investors on board. Our main objective was not just to create a fintech space, but to create a group dynamic that didn’t exist before at Team8.”
Rusak Aminuak served as President and CEO of the Leumi Group and its Leumi Bank division from 2012 to 2019. Under his leadership, Leumi established itself as Israel’s leading bank in terms of profits and market capitalization. He founded Leumitech, the bank’s technology division, and launched Pepper, Israel’s first and only neobank. His work at Leumi culminated in a Harvard Business School case study, “Leading Leumi Bank into the Future.” Leumi Bank has had a profound impact on the Israeli banking system and pioneered its digitalization.
