Paulo M. Fernandes is a senior technical consultant in financial services, working at the intersection of financial strategy, regulation and board governance.

 

He has over three decades of international experience across banking, payments, investment services and insurance, with deep expertise in EU regulatory frameworks including PSD2, EMD2, MiFID II and MiCA, as well as CRR/CRD and Solvency II, particularly in the context of regulated and cross-border structures.

 

Paulo currently serves as Chair and Independent Non-Executive Director of a Payment Institution and as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of a MiFID-regulated investment firm. He is also a member of the Investment Committee of a Maltese insurance company and acts as a Board and regulatory advisor to a number of financial institutions across the EEA.

 

He is regularly engaged in complex regulatory interactions with European supervisory authorities and has been assessed as fit-and-proper by EU regulators. His work focuses on aligning business models, governance frameworks and financial structures with regulatory expectations, while ensuring commercial sustainability.

 

Earlier in his career, Paulo held senior executive roles including Group CFO and Board member of international financial institutions. He has led acquisitions, restructurings and exits of regulated entities, including payment institutions and banks, and has been involved in building financial institutions from inception through to growth and investor exit.

 

He works closely with boards, senior management and regulators, relying on a combination of technical depth, practical judgement and an established professional network. He generally avoids unnecessary visibility, focusing instead on delivering robust structures, sound governance and sustainable outcomes.