CEO - Entrepreneur in Residence

1957 Ventures, the fintech venture builder, is seeking an exceptional Entrepreneur in Residence to assume the role of founding CEO for a new fintech venture in the MENA region.

This position offers the unique opportunity to build and scale a venture-backed fintech startup from inception with full backing including pre-committed capital, technology infrastructure, regulatory expertise, and access to an extensive network of industry partners.

The selected candidate will lead the entire venture lifecycle from opportunity identification through product development, market launch, and scaling operations. You will work alongside experienced operators, technologists, and advisors who have successfully built fintech companies, leveraging our proven methodologies and frameworks.

The role requires relocating to or being based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with regional travel as needed.

Key Responsibilities

As CEO-EiR, you will be responsible for:

• Building and leading the founding team
• Developing the business strategy and product roadmap
• Securing additional funding rounds
• Managing investor relations and board communications
• Driving product-market fit and scaling operations
• Establishing key partnerships and distribution channels
• Ensuring regulatory compliance and risk management

You will have full P&L responsibility and report to the 1957 Ventures board while maintaining operational autonomy.

This is a full-time commitment requiring dedication to building a category-defining company in the financial services sector. The position offers competitive compensation including salary and significant equity ownership in the venture you build.

Essential Qualifications

• Proven entrepreneurial leadership with experience as a founder, CEO, or senior executive who has built and scaled businesses from early stage through growth phases
• Deep fintech domain expertise with comprehensive understanding of financial services, payment systems, digital banking, or related sectors in the MENA/GCC markets
• Strong technical and product acumen with ability to work closely with engineering teams, make architectural decisions, and drive product development cycles
• Demonstrated fundraising capability with track record of securing venture capital, managing investor relations, and understanding of venture economics
• Regional market knowledge including understanding of MENA regulatory frameworks, particularly Saudi Arabia's financial regulations, cultural dynamics, and business practices
• Exceptional communication skills in English (Arabic proficiency highly valued) with ability to inspire teams, pitch to investors, and engage with enterprise clients

Critical Competencies

• Visionary leadership with ability to articulate a compelling vision, identify market opportunities, and build differentiated solutions in competitive markets
• Execution excellence demonstrating speed of iteration, data-driven decision making, and ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational management
• Customer obsession with deep empathy for target users, strong product instincts, and focus on solving real problems that create significant value
• Team building prowess with proven ability to attract, retain, and develop top talent while fostering a high-performance culture
• Resilience and adaptability showing grit through adversity, high learning velocity, and ability to pivot strategies based on market feedback
• Strategic thinking with understanding of venture dynamics, ability to define and track meaningful KPIs, and capacity to build scalable business models

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience building ventures in the MENA region or emerging markets
• Established network within the regional fintech ecosystem including investors, regulators, and potential partners
• Track record of successful exits or significant value creation in previous ventures
• Advanced degree in business, technology, or finance from a recognized institution
• Experience with specific fintech verticals relevant to Saudi Vision 2030 priorities
• Multilingual capabilities, particularly Arabic fluency alongside English proficiency