FinTech Veterans Sruthi Lanka (CFO) and Stephen Sikes (COO) Join the Investing Social Network Amid Period of Rapid Growth
Public.com, the investing social network, has announced two new additions to its executive leadership team: Sruthi Lanka as Chief Financial Officer and Stephen Sikes as Chief Operating Officer. Lanka and Sikes will drive the growth of Public.com’s initiatives and teams across operations, finance, and revenue, building on the company’s $65 million Series C fundraise in December 2020.
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As CFO, Sruthi Lanka will oversee finance, data, and people operations as the company continues its rapid growth. Public.com’s customer base grew 13X in 2020. Lanka joins from MoneyLion, the fintech startup and challenger bank where she served as VP and Head of Strategic Finance. She was MoneyLion’s first finance hire in 2017 following its Series A, and built the team that forecasts and monitors the firm’s financial performance, overseeing financial planning, capital optimization, fund raising and Board engagement. Previously, she worked on mergers and acquisitions for RBC, and at Goldman Sachs. Lanka also serves on the Board of the nonprofit Women Creating Change.
“Changing the culture of the stock market starts with driving consumer education. Public.com is making investing more accessible and more human to a new generation of investors—and because of that, it’s unlike any other company in its space,” Lanka said. “My own path to the financial industry was unconventional, so I’m excited to help grow our unique community, which is making it clear that everyone is an investor.”
As COO, Stephen Sikes will oversee the investing, operations, legal, compliance, and risk functions for Public Holdings, Inc, focusing on providing an intuitive and responsible investing experience for Public.com’s growing community. He joins from SoFi, where he served as VP and Business Lead of SoFi Invest, SoFi’s core investing product. As part of the founding team for SoFi Invest, he drove the long-term strategy and business plan; built and launched five ETFs; launched SoFi Crypto; and grew the customer base to hundreds of thousands accounts. Previously, Sikes was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company and served as an officer in the U.S. Army.
“Investing in the public markets is the world’s most powerful tool for helping people achieve financial independence,” Sikes said. “Public.com’s mission to open the stock market to everyone and help them be great long-term investors—through a collaborative investing experience where people from different backgrounds and experience levels can share ideas—is a perfect match for my personal mission and goals.”
Public.com’s community of investors grew exponentially in 2020, and is made up of 40 percent women and 45 percent people of color. Prominent community members include actor and activist Adrian Grenier; Aerie model and body positivity activist Iskra Lawrence, Premier Lacrosse League co-founder Paul Rabil; Chillhouse Founder & CEO Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton; Harlem Capital partner Brandon Bryant; and business professor Scott Galloway, who invested seven figures in the company in 2020.
“Sruthi and Stephen bring deep expertise and experience as we continue to accelerate our growth and bring a fresh take on the investing experience to our members,” said Leif Abraham, co-CEO of Public.com. “Just as important, they are deeply committed to our mission of making the stock market a more collaborative and educational environment.”
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