Chief Payments Officer
First Bank of the Lake

AnaLiza Grandner is an Executive Vice President, Chief Payments Officer at First Bank of the Lake. Grandner is an internationally recognized leader in the Fintech banking space, bringing over 16 years of experience in the digital payments ecosystem and Private Label Banking.  As Chief Payments Officer for First Bank of the Lake, she drives the bank’s payments strategy and oversees the development of its Private Label Banking product, aimed at supporting the evolving needs of Fintech partners. 

With a distinguished career across both banks and FinTechs, Grandner has been a driving force in building and optimizing financial systems that shape the future of digital banking for industry leaders such as Google Wallet, Chime, Varo, Simple, Seed, Walgreens, Bento and many others, guiding them through critical build, product enhancements and product innovations. Her development of a cutting-edge Third-Party Risk Framework and Compliance Management System has been widely adopted as a best practice, underscoring her pivotal role in advancing financial strategies and setting new benchmarks in the digital finance sector. 

Prior to First Bank of the Lake, Grandner served as Vice President, Head of Fintech Banking and Head of the Payroll Protection Program, where she led efforts that made the bank the top community bank for issuing and supporting Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) loans. Her strategic vision has been recognized by numerous global financial institutions and conferences, including the Most Influential Women in Payments Summit at Card Forum, where she delivered the keynote address and the International Payments Group, where she delivered the keynote address in Croatia.  

Grandner comes from some of the most influential institutions in the space, including Cross River Bank, Bancorp Bank, Bank of America, Citibank and The Vanguard Group.  

Grandner holds a TRIUM Global Executive MBA, jointly issued by NYU Stern School of Business, London School of Economics, and HEC Paris. She also earned a BA in Psychology from Yale University. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Grandner’s global perspective has been a key asset throughout her career.