Finastra today announced the appointment of Elona Ruka-Wright as its new Chief Risk Officer. Elona will be responsible for the company’s broad risk management portfolio around the world, driving its continued focus on supporting world-class risk management strategies.

Joining from Black Knight Financial Services, where she held the position of Senior Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management, Elona brings a total of more than 17 years of industry experience to her role at Finastra. Leading the company’s risk management program, she is responsible for regulatory compliance, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and governance, working closely with clients, regulators and partners.

Rob Binns, CFO at Finastra commented, “Elona’s exceptional experience in risk management makes her a great addition to the team and an asset as we strive to continuously exceed customer expectations. Her first-hand experience in running risk management and compliance programs for financial institutions and technology firms gives her an in-depth understanding of all areas of risk management, from governance and compliance to security and information technology. We are confident Elona will be a great leader, building further on our strong foundations and inspiring our team. Combining her leadership, communication and analytical skills, she will play a key role in helping our customers meet their strategic aspirations.”

At Black Knight, Elona was responsible for developing and executing ERM strategies, as well as establishing effective risk and security governance programs, amongst many other duties. Prior to this she held the position of Vice President and Senior Director of Security Governance, Risk and Compliance at U.S. Bancorp.

Elona said, “What struck me about Finastra is its continuous approach to innovation and its vision to open up the future of finance. I look forward to working closely with the global risk team and supporting our customers in this ever more challenging regulatory environment.”

Based in Lake Mary, USA, Elona holds an MBA in Finance and Strategic Management and has completed Harvard’s Risk Management for Corporate Leaders Program.