Nubank has hired a TikTok alum to serve as its global marketing director.
Kim Farrell, who spent the past two-plus years as global head of creators at the social-media platform, will lead the development of Nubank’s global brand architecture and governance, brand campaigns and global partnerships, the Brazilian challenger bank said Tuesday.
The announcement comes roughly a week after Farrell posted what she deemed a seemingly “impossible … big goodbye” on LinkedIn.
“It was such an immense privilege and the best rollercoaster rocket ship ride,” Farrell wrote of her time at TikTok. “As for me, after a much needed few weeks off, I'm latching on to my next rocket ship next week.”
Nubank will mark somewhat of a return home – at least in geographic focus – for Farrell, who began at TikTok in 2020 as a São Paulo-based director of marketing for Latin America.
Nubank, too, is based in São Paulo, though Farrell will work from Miami and report directly to the challenger bank’s co-founder and U.S. CEO, Cristina Junqueira.
That reflects Nubank’s focus on U.S. growth. The company in January received the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s conditional approval for a national banking license in the U.S. Once fully approved, Nubank plans to offer deposit accounts, credit cards, lending and digital asset custody.
“I’ve spent my career at the intersection of innovation, culture and storytelling, building platforms that empower people to create and connect in new ways,” Farrell said in a press release Tuesday. “Joining Nu is an incredible opportunity to apply that same lens to the financial world.”
Lincoln Parks, founder of the bank marketing agency WebMobileFusion, called Farrell’s hire a “fresh and somewhat risky move.”
“[Nubank has] been on the cutting edge of technology since day one, and they've never seemed afraid to experiment or challenge traditional banking norms," Parks told American Banker. "When you look at how they've approached the banking landscape overall, bringing in someone from a platform like TikTok actually fits their DNA.”
Farrell said she aims to ensure Nubank “remains a household name as we expand internationally and continue to improve people’s lives through fair, transparent products.”
Prior to her time at TikTok, Farrell held various executive roles at Booking.com and Google, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Nubank counted 131 million customers worldwide as of December, according to the company’s most recent earnings report.
