Dive Brief:

• MoneyGram named Marc Winniford, a Wells Fargo finance executive who has held multiple senior leadership roles in 17 years at the San Francisco-based bank, as its new finance chief, according to a Wednesday press release. He will take the role in February.
• Winniford, who since 2022 has served as CFO of Wells Fargo’s corporate and investment bank, is taking the finance reins at a transitional time for the legacy cross-border payments company that is seeking to upgrade its operations after being taken private in a $1.8 billion deal in 2022. 
• "As we transform our finance organization into an engine for operational excellence and growth, Marc's leadership will be key to continuing to strengthen our foundation and unlock new opportunities,” MoneyGram CEO Anthony Soohoo, said in a statement.

Dive Insight:

At Wells Fargo, Winniford held such roles as head of corporate finance, where he led financial planning and analysis; assistant treasurer; head of corporate development; as well as positions in treasury and fixed income. He also has investment banking experience, having spent five years at Lazard, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

"MoneyGram is in the midst of an ambitious and methodical transformation," Winniford said in a statement. "That momentum, paired with its global network and omnichannel platform that have the potential to redefine money movement, is what drew me here. I'm excited to join the team and ensure finance is a key driver in building the MoneyGram of the future."

Winniford’s appointment comes about 18 months after the company named Gary W. Ferrera to the CFO post, succeeded the retiring Larry Angelilli. Ferrera served as CFO for a year – through June 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile. A spokesperson for MoneyGram said Ferrera retired in June to spend more time with his family.

Brinda Bhattacharjee, who has led the company’s treasury organization since joining in February 2024, was named interim CFO in June. 

“Our finance team has been in great hands with seasoned leaders with significant MoneyGram tenure, along with several talented new hires across treasury and finance,” the spokesperson said in an email. The group includes Chris Russell, the chief accounting officer, and new leaders from such companies as Goldman Sachs, Invesco and Kraken, the spokesperson said.

Winniford will report directly to Soohoo, who credited the incoming finance chief as having a “disciplined approach to capital management” that aligns with MoneyGram. 

Soohoo took the top post at MoneyGram last year, and has aimed to digitally overhaul the the international wire transfer company after a severe outage in 2024 took the business offline for days.  

MoneyGram is pursuing a push to become an engine of growth, according the spokesperson said. This month, it announced a partnership with Fireblocks to “further advance stablecoin-based settlement and multi-asset treasury operations across MoneyGram's retail and digital footprint, enabling faster, lower-cost payments and real-time treasury operations throughout its network.”

The company says it serves over 50 million customers annually in more than 200 countries and territories and nearly half a million retail locations, according to the release.