Cross River is planning for the future, having announced the appointment of a new President, effective October 1, 2026.
According to a release, former Lazard Asset Management CEO Evan L. Russo, a current Cross River board member (since April), has stepped into the role and will partner with Cross River CEO Gilles Gade to support the firm’s global expansion and its next stage of growth.
Cross River, a US-chartered bank, is a leading infrastructure Fintech providing core banking services, including payments, credit, and digital asset services.
Cross River supports the activities of well-known firms like Affirm, Stripe, Coinbase, Upstart, Upgrade, Best Egg, DailyPay, Plaid, Bill.com, X (X Money), EarnIn, Current, and others. Its international presence is much smaller, creating an opportunity for the firm to expand its services. It also reportedly partners with more than 100 tech firms to provide services.
Russo has also served as CFO of Lazard Ltd. and Lazard Group and as co-head of Lazard’s Capital Markets and Capital Structure Advisory practice. He advised clients on strategic M&A, restructuring, and financial transactions, skills that will be helpful as the company aims to grow its global presence. Before joining Lazard, Russo worked at Goldman Sachs and Barclays Capital. Russo received an MBA from The Wharton School, a JD from Columbia Law School, and a BA from Queens College.
Russo said that Cross River is well-positioned to support the next generation of financial services.
“I am excited to work alongside Gilles and the entire Cross River team to scale the platform, strengthen our institutional capabilities, and position Cross River as the partner of choice for companies shaping the future of financial services.”