Banking the Cloud: The Comprehensive History of Cloud Banking and Those Who Started It

DIVE INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN Young. Hungry. Visionary. Chris Zadeh saw a future few could ever imagine possible. When he presented his idea—coding a new core banking engine in the cloud—bankers laughed. They scoffed. Then they rejected his revolutionary idea outright. They said, “The cloud’s not safe.” “Who do you think you are—telling us how to run our banks?” “And who the hell is ever going to put a bank on the cloud?” Chris Zadeh and his team of underdogs knew the answer: everyone. They also knew the cloud wasn’t just safe, it was the future of banking. And more than anything, he knew exactly who he and his team were: they were Ohpen, the first software company in the world to put a bank on the cloud. Together, this band of brothers harnessed their give-it-all mentality, fighting spirit, and bold vision to change how the world banks. In this surprising, unfiltered, outstandingly told story, Banking the Cloud takes the reader on an epic journey—from thrill of discovery, to the devastation of defeat, and to an exhilarating and last-minute rally that changed everything. This is a remarkable tale of what it takes to innovate, survive, and ultimately win no matter what the obstacle. You’ll find it impossible to put this book down.

CHRIS ZADEH is the founder of Ohpen. Inspired to disrupt the way banks work Chris pulled a team of underdogs together to do what others thought was impossible—create the first cloud-based core banking company in the world. After leading the company as CEO for ten years, Chris now lives in Ibiza with his wife, their three cats, and two dogs, Myza and Yucca. When Chris isn’t sharkdiving, he is practicing yoga and martial arts. He has been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, and Wired, which named Ohpen “Europe’s Hottest FinTech.” He is also the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller Monkey Money Mind: How to Stop Monkeying Around with Your Money.

MATTHIJS ALER is CEO of Ohpen, where he leads to achieve its mission of developing the best core banking engine in the world. Before Ohpen, Matthijs was responsible for the launch of binck.fr and the rise of BinckBank in the ranks of the French online banking landscape.

MARY CURRAN-HACKETT is a versatile and prolific author, editor, and ghostwriter. An avid business and leadership ghostwriter with Kevin Anderson & Associates, she is best known as the author of the critically acclaimed and bestselling novels, Proof of Heaven and Proof of Angels (William Morrow/HarperCollins). Mary’s personal essays have been anthologized and published nationally. In addition to her own writing, Mary has edited hundreds of books and ghostwritten over twenty published books for executives, entrepreneurs, doctors, artists, celebrities, and religious leaders. When not traveling, she calls Cincinnati home and enjoys her time there with her husband and two children.