ABOUT

Over 19 years, I’ve launched regulated fintechs, restructured operations to deliver 20% profit growth, and maintained a 10-year flawless regulatory compliance record across multiple jurisdictions. My work spans Russia, Singapore, Indonesia, other South Eastern Asian countries, Uganda, MENA, and Europe and combines deep operational execution with board-level strategic thinking.​

What I Deliver

Strategic Clarity: Define which markets to enter, how to compete, and where adjacent revenue opportunities exist.​

Operational Transformation: Redesign internal processes to cut costs by 15% while increasing profitability by 20%.​

Market Expansion: Reduce market entry timelines by 40–50% through regulatory and cultural fluency in Asia and emerging markets.​

Governance & Compliance: Build risk frameworks that satisfy central bank regulators and maintain zero-incident compliance records over decades.​

Who I Work With

I advise CEOs, CTOs, COOs, founders, and boards of technology companies—particularly in fintech, digital transformation, and regulated industries—who face high-stakes decisions around expansion, regulatory alignment, product launch, or operational restructuring.​

Background

I co-founded and structured Copernicus Gold, a Singapore-based fintech payment system. I built the company from concept to MAS-regulated launch, achieving compliance approval 2 months faster than typical timelines and maintaining a perfect regulatory record for over 10 years.​

Before that, I spent 8 years as a litigation lawyer handling major commercial arbitrations and bankruptcy procedures giving me a risk-aware perspective that shapes every strategic recommendation.​

I was a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors from 2019-2024. Since 2019, I’ve advised fintech and technology companies across Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa on strategy, expansion, and regulatory compliance.

Advisory engagements include SKB Kontur (digital banking ecosystem, European expansion, softPOS rollout in Australia/Philippines), Pocket Money (Uganda Central Bank licensing), and Newchip Accelerator startups across Europe and Asia.​

Representative Outcomes

• Launched fintech payment system under MAS regulations with 10-year perfect compliance record (no fines, warnings, or corrective actions)​
• Cut market entry evaluation time by 50% for Australia and Philippines expansion​
• Reduced Uganda Central Bank licensing preparation timeline by 40%​
• Delivered 20% revenue growth and 15% cost reduction through operational redesign​
• Increased online revenue by 40% during post-2022 sanctions environment through strategic pivots​

How We Work

I work directly with principals and leadership teams through three engagement models:​

Strategic Advisory: For companies needing objective assessment and transformation roadmaps around market positioning, expansion, or operational improvement.​

Executive Leadership: Joining your team temporarily as a C-level operator to execute transformation while building internal capability.​

Board Director: Serving as an independent director with focus on governance, strategy, transformation, and risk management.

Ready to talk? Schedule a call with me, send me a message on Telegram or email (stepan аt khukharev com).