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Chris Zadeh, former CTO of BinckBank and founder of fintech company Whanghai

From six people to a listed company

Chris began his career at BinckBank, where he saw first-hand how a small team could grow into a listed organisation with hundreds of employees. According to him, this was not due to one big idea, but to a culture of consistent behaviour. Everyone at BinckBank worked according to the same principle: exceed expectations. Not only in sales or product, but also in finance, legal and operations. Exceeding expectations was not a slogan, but a habit.

Discipline as a distinguishing feature

There was something personal behind that habit. Chris spoke openly about his background: growing up as a newcomer, dyslexia, ADHD – factors that forced him to develop structure and discipline.
He built his days around fixed routines: getting up early, exercising outdoors, breathing exercises, sports, moments of rest. Not as a ritual, but as an anchor to stay clear-headed in periods of high pressure.
‘Routines ensure that you peak when it matters. Not all the time, but at exactly the right moment.’

From building to selling

After his time at BinckBank, he founded Ohpen, the first fully cloud-based core banking platform. It was a long road: hundreds of pitches before the first customer came on board.
Yet that same discipline remained his guiding principle. Ohpen eventually grew into a mature company that was sold to NPM Capital in 2018. Chris deliberately chose NPM, despite higher bids from abroad, because he believed that an investment is also a form of partnership.

What stuck

His story wasn't about the perfect strategy or the fastest growth. It was about behaviour. About how small choices – being on time, coming prepared, paying attention – make a big difference.