NEW CANAAN – Bankwell Financial Group has appointed Brian Merritt, a native of San Francisco, as chief technology officer.
Merritt brings extensive experience in banking, fintech, and engineering leadership to Bankwell. Prior to joining the company, he served as senior vice president, head of product at fintech company Cross River and was previously CEO of Seed, an online business bank. He also held the role of vice president of Engineering at Simple, where he helped scale the company from its early stages to more than 100,000 customers.
“We are pleased to welcome Brian to the team,” said Christopher R. Gruseke, Bankwell president and CEO. “His deep expertise in banking technology, product development, and system architecture will be instrumental in advancing Bankwell’s digital capabilities. Brian’s leadership will help us enhance our technology infrastructure and deliver innovative solutions to our customers.”
Merritt expressed his enthusiasm for joining Bankwell.
“I’m excited to join a team committed to delivering exceptional banking experiences,” he said. “I look forward to leveraging technology to support Bankwell’s growth and enhance the services we provide to our customers.”
Bankwell Financial Group is the holding company for Bankwell Bank, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in New Canaan that was founded in 2002. It has nine branches, including two in Fairfield and Stamford.
