The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for further information on the leadership change.

"The Board is confident that George is the right person to lead Green Dot through its next phase of growth, and we are grateful to have a proven leader of George’s caliber and experience to step into the role of Chief Executive," Green Dot Chairman William I. Jacobs said in the company’s statement. 

Gresham has been a member of the company’s board since October 2021.

The leadership change comes amid reports that Green Dot is in a dispute with one of its contract customers, the ride-share company Uber Technologies. Green Dot disclosed the legal friction in August, alleging Uber isn’t living up to agreements between the companies.

When asked for additional information at that time, a Green Dot spokesperson suggested legal action had begun. 

“We generally do not comment on pending litigation, but we do intend to exercise our legal rights and protect our interests in this matter,” the Green Dot spokesperson, Alison Lubert, said in August.

 

Austin, Texas-based Green Dot also disclosed during the second-quarter earnings report in August that “several” of its banking-as-a-service (BaaS) customers had declined to renew their contracts.

“We have several contracts where we could not come to an agreement that both we and our partners believe would serve the best interests of both parties and they will not be renewed,” Gresham said during the company’s Aug. 4 earnings call with analysts. 

Green Dot also earlier this year weathered the financial repercussions of a failed acquisition. The company in June paid $13 million to Republic Bank to settle a lawsuit the Louisville, Kentucky-based bank filed last year over Green Dot’s failed attempt to buy Republic’s tax refund processing unit.

That settlement was in addition to a $5 million termination fee Green Dot paid Republic in January, according to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings.

The leadership shakeup could signal another change in direction for Green Dot.

Under Henry’s leadership, Green Dot launched GO2bank in January. The digital bank aims to serve the low- and moderate-income (LMI) market. The launch marked a major accomplishment for Henry, who led the company after the December 2019 departure of longtime CEO Steve Streit.

Since taking the helm, Henry made clear he planned to regain “lost ground” in the digital consumer banking market, a space that has seen growth from competitors such as Varo Bank, Chime and Current.

“While the news of Dan Henry’s termination is not a positive and clearly a surprise, importantly this seems to be a board-chosen direction rather than one related to cause,” Steven Kwok, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, said in a note to clients, according to Bloomberg. “It would appear the board felt that it was time for change as far as an execution strategy and Mr. Gresham’s extensive industry experience should help him in the CEO role.”

Correction: The story has been updated to reflect that Gresham’s appointment as CEO is not on an interim basis.

 

By Anna Hrushka on Oct 17, 2022
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