Pleo x Enfuce: A Nordic Love Song- Keeping the Love Alive in Fintech Partnerships
Thorbjørn Fink, COO of Pleo, joins Denise Johansson for a lively chat on building winning partnerships, fostering trust, and navigating challenges in the tech world.
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In this episode
In this episode of In the Hot Seat, Denise Johansson sits down with Thorbjørn Fink, COO of Pleo, to uncover the secrets of building and maintaining winning fintech partnerships. Together, they explore the dynamics of strong collaborations, how to foster trust, and what it takes to navigate challenges and compromises in long-term business relationships.
Key highlights include:
- Supplier vs. Partner: Why choosing a partnership model rooted in long-term stability is critical.
- Balancing Compromise: How aligning on mutual growth and shared wins leads to lasting success.
- Build or Partner: Thorbjørn explains why staying mission-focused is key when deciding whether to build in-house or collaborate externally.
- When to Let Go: Knowing when a partnership isn’t right and why moving on is sometimes the best choice for everyone.
- Learning the Love Languages: Tips on mastering communication and cultural alignment to create great partnerships.
Tune in to hear Thorbjørn’s personal insights and Denise’s expert advice on what it truly means to keep the love alive in fintech collaborations.
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Meet the guest
Thorbjørn Fink
COO | Advisor | Investor
Thorbjørn Fink is the COO and a founding member of Pleo, a fintech company revolutionizing business spending across Europe. From the early days of building Pleo from the ground up to leading its hyper-growth stage, Thorbjørn has been integral to shaping a solution that simplifies expense management for finance teams, managers, and employees alike.
Passionate about fostering transparency, trust, and delegation, he has helped create a product that not only solves real business challenges but also reflects Pleo’s forward-thinking workplace culture. With 900+ team members representing over 70 nationalities and operating across 20+ markets, Pleo continues to thrive under his leadership.
When not driving Pleo’s mission, Thorbjørn advises VC and PE funds on fintech and payments, supports Nordic founders, and invests in fintech and software startups across Europe and the US. His expertise spans payments infrastructure, venture capital, organizational development, and strategic partnerships.
Meet the host
Denise Johansson is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Enfuce, the first fintech in the world to put payment processing in the public cloud. Denise is a dynamic female innovator and leader with almost 20 years of experience in the payment industry.
Denise, whose expertise has been recognised by several initiatives including InspiringFifty, has helped numerous European fintechs and financial institutions enter new markets quickly with safe, secure, and scalable card products. She is committed to encouraging more women into fintech, inspiring them to set bold goals and work towards them.
