ElevenLabs Gains CFO Ethan Tandowsky from Adyen

Ethan Tandowsky has been appointed as the new CFO for ElevenLabs, joining the company after leaving fintech Adyen. 

He says; “For my next chapter, I am very excited to join the team at ElevenLabs as CFO.

“Voice is the most natural way for people to interact. The chance to make interacting with AI feel just as natural is such an incredible opportunity. As someone who has lived between cultures and languages, the mission pulled me in: making AI feel native and authentic in every context. It's a hard problem, so I’m excited to get going.”

Transferring expertise from fintech to AI 

Ethan was previously at Adyen for a decade, having been CFO since 2023. He was part of the team to help the company go public in 2018.

At the time of his departure, he said: "My time at Adyen has been incredibly rewarding" 

He joined the fintech as a Financial Controller and worked his way through, strengthening his skills in analysis and investor relations. 

He also played a part in the company’s revenue, seeing it grow 20 times, and seeing staff numbers increase from 400 to 5,000.

At the time of his departure, Adyen described Ethan as a core member of the leadership team after his near-ten-year tenure, steering and overseeing the company through its periods of growth. 

Prior to Adyen Ethan worked at EY. When leaving Adyen, Ethan commented that he has chosen a completely new path to step into, outside of fintech.

The ElevenLabs appeal 

A pivot away from fintech, ElevenLabs is a specialist AI company which focuses on building products such as AI voice technology to change how consumers interact with AI. It employs around 800 people, and has its global headquarters in London. 

It serves NVIDIA, Stripe, Klarna, Deutsche Telekom, and governments from Brazil to Ukraine. Large enterprises now account for 55% of the company’s revenue. 

Mati Staniszewski, Co-Founder and CEO of ElevenLabs says: “ElevenLabs started as an audio research lab and we now have a broad platform for businesses deploying AI that interacts naturally with people.

“Ethan brings a strong track record of scaling financial operations in high-growth environments, and valuable experience as CFO of a public company. I look forward to working with him to solve human-AI interaction for more businesses around the world.”

The company announced that as it shifts its priorities to scaling, Ethan will be instrumental in aiding the global growth, using expertise in investing to shape the company’s financial infrastructure. 

It also says it is building new financial models, including a marketplace for creators to earn money from their voice IP.

In a LinkedIn post, Ethan celebrated his new opportunity, thanking CEO and Co-Founder of ElevenLabs Mati Staniszewski. 

Ethan Tandowsky, CFO at ElevenLabs says: “ElevenLabs has the research depth and customer demand to meaningfully improve how people interact day-to-day with AI.

“My focus is to drive investment and build the financial foundation that allows the company to seize the significant opportunity ahead. I'm excited by the opportunity to work with this incredible team to further scale ElevenLabs globally, and deliver AI that feels native and authentic in every context.”

ElevenLabs partners: 

BCG: Boston Consulting Group is an American global management consulting firm that advises public and private sector organisations on corporate strategy, operation transformation, and technology. Founded in 1963, the business operates out of its primary corporate headquarters in Massachusetts, US. Christoph Schweizer leads the firm as Chief Executive Officer.

IBM: IBM is an American multinational technology enterprise that produces hardware, infrastructure software and hybrid cloud computing solutions. Operating globally, the firm provides IT consulting services and AI platforms to enterprises worldwide. The company was established in 1911, and maintains its global head office in Armonk, New York. Arvind Krishna serves as the CEO, leading the organisation's enterprise strategy.

Deloitte: One of the Big Four accounting firms, Deloitte offers audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory and tax services globally. Tracing its roots back to 1845, Deloitte maintains its operational global headquarters in London, United Kingdom. The organisation is led by Global Chief Executive Officer Joe Ucuzoglu.

UK Government: The UK Government is under current leadership Andy Burnham, who has a base of operations known as Number 10 North in Manchester, as well as Number 10 Downing Street in London. 

Meta: Meta Platforms, previously known as Facebook, specialises in social media platforms and virtual reality technology. The company was founded in 2004, known then as TheFacebook. Meta is headquartered in California, US. Co-Founder Mark Zuckerberg serves as the Chief Executive Officer.