President and Chief Executive Officer

Gavin Michael is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Varo Bank, the first nationally chartered all-digital bank in the U.S., where he leads its next phase of growth to deliver accessible, consumer-first financial services for everyday Americans.

Before Varo, Gavin served as CEO of Bakkt, guiding it through its public offering and establishing it as a trusted platform for digital assets, bridging traditional finance with emerging crypto. A veteran innovator in global finance, Gavin previously held executive leadership roles at Chase and Citi. As Head of Digital at Chase, he helped rebuild the modern payments landscape—leading the rollout of Apple Pay to Chase's massive consumer base and playing a central role in forming Zelle, the industry coalition that made instant digital payments ubiquitous nationwide. His career also includes leadership roles at Accenture, Lloyds Banking Group, National Australia Bank, and IBM.

With a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Gavin brings deep technical expertise to his leadership, consistently using technology to redefine financial services. Today, he continues to drive Varo's mission of creating a better way to bank for millions of American consumers.