Meet the team
Sarika Ahluwalia
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE AFFAIRS & CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
To build a new world of financial opportunity, we had to bring together the brightest talent.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE AFFAIRS & CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
CO-FOUNDER / CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
No one embodies the entrepreneurial culture and relentless drive of the Propel team more than its leader, Clive. As one of the four original co-founders, Clive has been leading the team to build a new financial reality since 2011.
With a background in building revolutionary online business models, Clive saw an opportunity to modernize the lending space and create an online business that created wins for consumers and investors. On September 1st of 2011, that idea become a reality. His financial acumen, bold visionary approach and determination has steered Propel to becoming the leader it is today. Under Clive’s leadership Propel went public in an oversubscribed IPO in 2021 on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: PRL). Since then, Clive has driven Propel to expand into new geographies and achieve record, profitable growth. He has also championed a culture that is Propel’s differentiator, focused on integrity, meritocracy and exceptional dedication.
Clive is a natural entrepreneur, with a history of building successful, innovative tech businesses. Prior to starting Propel, Clive was Co-Founder and President of OPENLANE, a B2B online exchange for used vehicles, which under his guidance and leadership disrupted the traditional brick-and-mortar automotive auto auction model and transformed the industry. OPENLANE was sold to ADESA, a major subsidiary of KAR Auction Services (NYSE:KAR), in 2011. Prior to that, Clive worked for NSA Investments, the largest publicly traded private equity company in South Africa.
Clive sits on several corporate Boards and is also a Board Member for the Online Lenders Alliance (OLA), the main industry body representing the fast-growing online lending industry. Clive is a Chartered Accountant and completed his Articles at Arthur Andersen. He also holds a BComm, BAcc from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. Clive is an avid world traveler with his wife and two children and never misses a tennis match.
President & Chief Operating Officer
Gary joined the team in 2016 as President of Propel, bringing with him over 20 years of leadership experience in developing and growing online businesses. At Propel, Gary’s focus on technology innovation, operational excellence and continuous improvement has been instrumental in helping the company to scale rapidly and efficiently.
As leader of both the Technology and Operations teams, Gary ensures the alignment and optimization of technology, people and processes to sustain Propel’s continued profitable growth. He has ensured that Propel’s proprietary lending platform has remained flexible, scalable and secure as the business has grown and diversified. He has also improved operational efficiency and customer experience by leading the introduction of digital self-service capabilities for customers and expanding automation of business processes.
Prior to joining Propel, Gary was the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for ADESA, a wholesale auto auction services company and subsidiary of KAR Auction Services (NYSE:KAR). As CIO, Gary was a key member of the ADESA executive team and oversaw technology development for online and brick-and-mortar sites. Gary joined ADESA in 2011 through the acquisition of OPENLANE, the world’s leading pure online B2B used vehicle exchange. As co-founder and the CIO of OPENLANE, Gary led the company’s technology team from start-up through to scale-up and successful sale to ADESA. Gary started his career at Ernst & Young’s Management Services in South Africa, where he worked as an Information Technology Consultant on business process re-engineering, software development and enterprise resource planning (ERP) system projects. Gary obtained a Bachelor of Business Science and Information Systems (Hons) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Gary lives in Toronto with his wife and two kids and is an enthusiastic cyclist and rugby fan.
Co-founder / President & Chief Revenue Officer
Noah Buchman co-founded Propel and since day one has been a key driver of growth and the visionary behind Propel’s biggest evolutions.
Noah works cross-functionally across the entire company championing major initiatives and ensuring the company executes on its strategic plan. Noah leads teams in Strategy, Corporate & Business Development, Communications, Marketing and Customer Acquisition. He also oversees and leads all areas of the numerous and varied bank programs on the Propel platform.
Noah has played a transformative role building out the commercial structures and relationships with the company’s bank lending partners, largest marketing partners, and main credit bureaus. He led and was responsible for developments and launches of: CreditFresh, an operating brand for bank sponsorship programs in 2019; the bank sub-service program on MoneyKey.com in 2021; Propel’s geographic expansion into Canada with the operating brand, Fora, in 2022; and in 2023, Propel’s newest product line, Lending-as-a-Service (LaaS), for banks in the US and Canada.
His unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for customers, partners, vendors, shareholders, and his relentless drive to deliver on growth opportunities, have been instrumental in Propel’s success.
Before co-Founding Propel, Noah worked at Air Liquide Healthcare (AI:PA), VitalAire. Noah holds a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology degree from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor’s degree from McGill University. Outside of work, Noah enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, travel, hockey, and live sports & entertainment.
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Chief Compliance Officer
Sarika Ahluwalia joined Propel as Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer in 2016, and oversees the compliance, regulatory legal and customer experience divisions of the company.
Sarika has played a transformative role in building out the company’s compliance and regulatory legal function, government relations and other key parts of the company’s business. Sarika’s ability to navigate complex problems combined with her business acumen and strong legal judgment have been a key component of the company’s success to date. Propel prides itself on its strong culture of compliance which has thrived under her leadership.
Before joining Propel, Sarika held various legal and compliance roles at Capital One Bank (NYSE: COF), supporting a quickly evolving and innovative business, prior to which she worked at a Bay Street law firm. Sarika holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Schulich School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo. Sarika is called to the Bar of Ontario. Sarika loves nothing more than good food and travel with her husband, two daughters and extended family, all of whom keep her constantly driven.
Vice President, Operations
Jonathan Krauklis is an accomplished Call Center Strategist and Operations Executive with over 20 years of experience in a variety of call centers and industries. With a keen eye for process development and optimization, Jonathan specializes in the building and management of customer-facing operational departments.
Joining Propel in September 2012, Jonathan brought experience in call center and operations management and receivables management. After establishing a successful and high functioning account recovery team during his first seven years with Propel, Jonathan moved onto his current role as the Vice President of Bank Program Operations, where he plays a critical role in new customer growth and development.
Having started his career in call centers, Jonathan found success in the call center environment, and continued to expand into other related areas, including accounts receivable management. Throughout his career, Jonathan has been responsible for the development and training of multiple departments, specialized programs, and the opening of satellite offices. When Jonathan is not building world class call center teams, he is busy tending to his collection of pop art and cooking up big-flavoured dishes for friends and family.
Vice President, Software Development
As Vice President, Software Development at Propel, Neal leads the software development of Propel’s world-class technology platform. He brings more than 25 years of leadership expertise in software development with sector experience in education, computer gaming, investment research and financial technology. With Neal’s guidance, the Propel technology team leverages an agile development approach to continually optimize and enhance Propel’s proprietary financial technologies.
Prior to joining Propel, Neal led software development at TVO where he developed an online education platform designed to teach STEM skills to students from kindergarten to grade six. Previously, Neal was the CTO at Lusight Research, where he led the design, development and delivery of Lusight’s Emerging Markets Financial Analytics platform. Neal has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Certificate in Software Development from McGill University. He also has a Master of Management Analytics from Queen’s University. When he’s not working, Neal enjoys spending time with family, getting outdoors and playing drums and guitar with local musicians.
Senior Vice President, Bank Programs and Legal Affairs
Trained as a lawyer, Matt uses his knowledge of the complex financial regulatory landscape to help build new products and partnerships that deliver value for customers, partners and Propel.
Matt currently serves as Senior Vice President of Bank Programs and Legal Affairs at Propel Holdings. In this role, he works cross functionally across all departments, focusing on developing and operationalizing new business initiatives and building strong partner relationships. Additionally, Matt oversees daily management of Propel’s various bank partnerships and has been instrumental in helping to design new program structures and integrations. Matt was pivotal to the launch of Propel’s Lending as a Service (LaaS) product offering in 2023.
Before joining Propel, Matt worked at the largest legal non-profit in Canada, both as a litigator and Director of Corporate Pro-Bono, providing free legal services to pre-funded start-ups. Matthew holds a Masters in Labor Economics from McMaster University and a Law degree from the University of Kent. Outside of work, Matt enjoys rebuilding classic cars and motorcycles, collecting and restoring watches, as well as spending time with his wife, son and daughter.
Vice President, Communications
Lindsay is a leading communications and corporate strategist with over 15 years of experience in building corporate reputation and creative problem-solving.
Lindsay Finneran-Gingras joined Propel in 2023 as Vice President, Communications. Lindsay’s focus is on building the visibility of Propel and to articulate the unique and powerful value Propel brings to consumers, partners and investors. Since joining, Lindsay has overseen the Propel brand renewal and proactive corporate communications efforts. Lindsay’s primary focus is on strengthening communication with Propel’s investors, stakeholders, customers and employees.
Before joining Propel, Lindsay held senior positions in a major global public relations agency, distinguishing herself as an expert in complex issues and corporate mandates. Lindsay is well known for creating integrated, cross-channel communications campaigns that build reputation, shift opinion and solve corporate challenges. Lindsay is a frequent media commentator on image building in politics and business. Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Trinity College, University of Toronto. Outside of work Lindsay enjoys escaping the city with her rescue dog and staying up to date on politics and current affairs.
Co-Founder / Chief Financial Officer
Sheldon co-founded Propel and currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer. Having built Propel’s capital structure, Sheldon has been key to Propel’s profitable and sustainable growth since its launch in 2011.
As CFO, Sheldon leads the company’s financial functions, including accounting and reporting, treasury, financial strategy, commercial and transaction structuring, audit, corporate finance and investor relations. Sheldon has been instrumental in shaping and guiding the business through its various stages of development and growth. He has overseen the development of over $350 million in debt facilities as well as leading the company through its successful IPO in 2021.
Sheldon is committed to creating shareholder value and inspires confidence with our key business partners including lenders, bankers and investors. Sheldon’s leadership is marked by his determination and innovation.
Sheldon brings more than 18 years of global experience in building organizations and leading finance teams as well as varied experience in corporate finance, financial analytics and management, strategy, business leadership and commercial structuring. His career began with Accenture (NYSE: ACN) where he held consulting and finance roles in both North America and the UK. Sheldon is a graduate of the Schulich School of Business with an Honours B.B.A. and Specialty in Finance. He also holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Outside of work, he loves spending time with his wife and two boys, enjoys studying history and is a huge basketball fan.
Co-Founder / Chief Risk Officer
Jonathan co-founded Propel and currently serves as the Chief Risk Officer. Jonathan is the architect of Propel’s proprietary AI-based technology platform, which has been a key driver of Propel’s profitable growth and industry leadership.
As an AI and technology pioneer, Jonathan has designed and built the custom underwriting platform, led development of our proprietary loan management system, as well as the software development, QA and business analysis teams. Currently, Jonathan leads the Risk and Product Analytics groups, which are responsible for all aspects of evaluating the risk of both potential customers as well as broader macro risk: to build a new world of financial opportunity that expands the credit market, while protecting against fraud and credit losses.
Jonathan brought leading experience in artificial intelligence and machine learning, which are key to Propel’s strength as both a financial and technology leader. Jonathan received his S.B. and M.Eng. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a focus on artificial intelligence, and a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from University of California, Berkeley. Outside of work, Jonathan spends much of his time in the pool, swimming competitively, and with his husband and two daughters.
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Jay Vaghela joined Propel in 2013 as Vice President and General Counsel. His legal expertise coupled with his strong understanding of the business, have been critical to Propel’s journey to a highly respected, publicly traded corporation.
As General Counsel, Jay oversees all quarterly reporting requirements, corporate governance, corporate legal, insurance, transactional, licensing, intellectual property and litigation matters for the company. Jay played an integral role in Propel’s IPO in 2021 and its ongoing corporate governance as a public company. Jay has also led the streamlining of all contractual, licensing and transactional matters, building out robust cloud-based contract management and minute book systems for the company. He has also played a significant role in all debt and equity financing, most recently leading the upsizing of the USD 250 million CreditFresh facility.
Prior to joining Propel, Jay worked at a Bay Street law firm where his practice focused on Corporate and Securities law. Jay holds a Bachelors of Law (LLB) degree from the University of Windsor Law School and an Honors Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business. Jay is called to the Bar in the Province of Ontario. Outside of work, Jay is an avid martial artist – he is a black belt and instructor in Krav Maga, enjoys playing tennis and golf and spending time with his wife and 3 daughters.
Senior Vice President, People & Culture, Chief of Staff
Cindy joined Propel in December 2015 and brings 25 years of experience in strategy, transformation, and operational Human Resources. At Propel, Cindy leads the development and execution of enterprise-wide strategy and programs for Leadership, Learning & Development, Talent Management, Compensation and Organization Effectiveness.
Cindy is a trusted advisor and empathetic leader who thrives in building a culture of performance and excellence. This culture is key to Propel’s growth and continued success. During and since the pandemic, Cindy has driven Propel’s approach to the Future of Work, ensuring Propel remains a flexible and sought after employer. Under her leadership Propel was named a Best Place to Work.
Throughout her career, Cindy has contributed as an advisor and change influencer at multiple companies in the technology sector through senior roles at Scalar Decisions, Nightingale, Marketwire, Guestlogix, and 724 Solutions. Cindy brings extensive experience in human capital management and enjoys collaborating, mentoring, and motivating. She has deep knowledge in cross-national and cross-border legislation, talent planning, processes and policies, learning and development, employee relations, and developing employee performance enhancement initiatives. She holds a BA in Sociology from York University, is a member of the HRPA and is an active member of her community.
Vice President, Operations & Shared Services
Brad brings over 20 years of leadership experience in various areas, including customer success, IT operations and facilities management in both the fintech and automotive industries. At Propel, Brad is focused on bringing a holistic, customer-centric and creative approach to his role as an operations leader, which has contributed significantly to the development and excellence of the operations function. With Brad’s leadership, Propel has experienced increased efficiencies and effectiveness in numerous aspects of its infrastructure and processes.
Prior to joining Propel, Brad was the Director of Operations at OPENLANE where he led productive teams to build and maintain scalable solutions both in Canada and the US. Brad was also the General Manager at MPI group, where he played a key role in bringing prominent automotive brands into Canada. Brad has a BA in Automotive Marketing from Northwood University. When he’s not working, Brad enjoys soaking in the best that the city and country lifestyles have to offer with his husband at their home and cottage.
Senior Vice President, Product and Analytics
Rachel brings more than 16 years of experience in various financial and analytical roles, with a focus on business optimization and operational efficiencies.
Rachel joined Propel in March 2019, as a part of the team building Propel’s first bank partnership program under CreditFresh. Since then, Rachel’s responsibilities have expanded across Propel’s brands and she is currently managing the product, analytics and business intelligence teams. Rachel brings a laser-like focus to improving Propel’s products, using data to make better decisions and to improve the experience for customers. Some of the key upgrades Rachel has led include developing loyalty programs and automating key functions.
Rachel started her career at the global high-tech company, Minicom Advanced Systems, in forecasting and production planning. After that she worked at the Bank of Jerusalem, in various roles including financial reporting, budgeting, analytics and risk management. After moving to Canada in 2014, Rachel was the head of risk for North America at 4Finance – a global alternative lending company. Rachel is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, with an Honours B.A. in Business Administration and Journalism, and Honours MBA, specialized in Organizational Management and Marketing. Outside of work Rachel likes spending time with her kids and family and exploring beautiful Canadian nature.
Senior Vice President, Finance
Robert joined Propel in September 2018 and brings more than 10 years of experience across the finance function with a specialization in data and technology. As Senior Vice President, Finance of Propel, Robert oversees day-to-day financial operations including financial reporting, accounting, capital planning, treasury, financial analysis, internal controls, financial systems, and data management. Since joining Propel, he played a lead role in transforming the finance function to support the immense growth in recent years, while fueling that growth through corporate development and commercial structuring activities.
Prior to joining Propel, he led a finance systems team at Travelers Canada, a subsidiary of The Travelers Companies (NYSE: TRV) and held a variety of roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers in technology consulting, data management, and assurance. Robert is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), and holds a Master of Accounting and Bachelor of Accounting and Financial Management from the University of Waterloo. Outside of work, Robert enjoys travelling the world, tasting different cuisines, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and extended family.
VICE PRESIDENT, Financial Strategy + FP&A
Eitan joined Propel in 2022 and brings more than 20 years of experience in financial strategy and analysis. As Vice President, Financial Strategy & Financial Planning & Analysis, Eitan oversees day-to-day financial operations at Propel including budgeting and forecasting, commercial structuring and new program operationalization. Since joining Propel, he has played a lead role in optimizing business performance and profitability, as well as structuring, launching and operationalizing the financing of our Lending-as-a-Service product, to support the future growth of Propel.
Prior to joining Propel, he led the Strategy and Corporate Development team at Cosma International, a group of Magna International (NYSE: MGA) and was an M&A advisor at a three leading domestic and global Investment Banks. Eitan holds an Honours of Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario. Outside of work, Eitan enjoys travelling, playing sports, and spending time with his wife, children and extended family.
VICE PRESIDENT, Project Management Office
Brian brings to the company over 20 years of international experience building high growth SaaS and fintech organizations.
Since joining Propel in 2023 as Vice President, Project Management Office (PMO), he has spearheaded efforts to ensure seamless and rapid delivery of major change initiatives within the company, while also holding P&L oversight of Propel's Fora and MoneyKey business lines. In his capacity as VP PMO, Brian is instrumental in harnessing Propel's mission focused culture to deliver against a growing array of ground-breaking opportunities at scale.
Brian has held pivotal leadership roles in product and operations management, serving consumer and small business credit needs across various financial products and marketplace platforms. Previously Brian served as COO at Nuula, where he orchestrated a multi-year corporate and product restructuring across North America and the UK, ultimately resulting in a successful acquisition by Nav Technologies. His international fintech expertise extends to roles such as Head of Product, International at Wonga Digital Finance, where he drove transformative product launches spanning Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Spain, Ukraine and Poland. Outside of fintech Brian has led private equity and venture-backed SaaS companies spanning several sectors, from pre-revenue to profitable late-state growth.
Brian holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Toronto. While not at work he enjoys touring on his classic motorcycle, various restoration projects and exploring the unknown with his wife and husky.
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