Ripjar has replaced its CEO Tom Obermaier with a former executive at Featurespace.
Obermaier was installed as CEO in late 2024 by private equity firm Long Ridge as it became the majority owner of the Cheltenham RegTech, with founder Jeremy Annis moving to a pure board position.
Obermaier is still listed as CEO on his LinkedIn profile but reference to him has been removed from the company’s team page on its website, with Mills now listed as CEO.
Neither Ripjar nor Mills referred to Obermaier in a press release announcing the new appointment.
Ripjar, a technology provider of risk and threat screening intelligence solutions for financial services firms, corporations and governments, has turned to Mills. He spent a decade at RegTech Featurespace as chief commercial officer and general manager and helped grow the organisation from 12 to more than 400 employees before the company’s acquisition by Visa in 2024.
Mills also led innovation, sales and partnerships for Aurasma, later acquired by HP, where he expanded the business to over 10,000 commercial customers and partners during his three‑year tenure.
Obermaier had operated as a chief risk officer at leading financial institutions including Citibank and Deutsche Bank. As CEO at RDC, he pioneered a leading customer risk diligence standard before its acquisition by Moody’s Analytics.
Founded by former members of the UK Intelligence Services in 2013, Ripjar enables customers to deploy smarter screening in one enterprise-ready platform, built on National Security grade technology with specialised, explainable AI.
“I have been an admirer of Ripjar and its important work across screening and intelligence for some time,” said Mills. “Ripjar has consistently excelled at protecting countries, banks and corporate entities. Financial institutions and enterprises are the first line of defence against financial crime.
“Our screening technology empowers them to make smarter decisions that defend their businesses and disrupt the crime economy.”
Jason Melton, partner at Long Ridge, added: “Matt brings a powerful combination of deep domain expertise and a proven track record of leading and scaling innovative, high-growth businesses.
“Mills will accelerate Ripjar’s go-to-market strategy and global expansion to meet increasing market demand for smarter, more efficient customer screening solutions. We’re excited to welcome him onboard.”