CEE In-House Matters Interview with Gabija Kuncytė, Head of Regulatory and Compliance at Finora Bank

“When compliance becomes trusted and involved at the right stage, it naturally becomes a seamless part of organization processes, and that is exactly the goal.“

Gabija Kuncytė was recently appointed to the position of the Head of Regulatory and Compliance at Finora Bank and was also awarded the Compliance Specialist of the Year title by the European Compliance Professionals Association.

Following these recent professional milestones, CEE In-House Matters caught up with Kuncytė for an interview. She shares how she defines an effective compliance function in a fast-growing financial institution, the biggest compliance risks facing fintechs in Europe today, and more.

CEEIHM: You were recently appointed Head of Regulatory and Compliance at Finora Bank. Could you walk us through your career journey and how your experience led you to specialize in compliance work?

Kuncytė: My background is rooted in legal, governance, and regulatory work, but over time, I naturally gravitated toward compliance because I understood the difference between the two. In legal, I mostly dealt with problems that had already happened. Compliance gave me an opportunity to help in advance, to see risks earlier, and prevent problems before they arise. I was drawn to that strategic side of compliance and to the possibility of building trust across the organization.

CEEIHM: You were recently awarded Compliance Specialist of the Year by the European Compliance Professionals Association. What did that recognition mean to you personally and professionally, and what do you believe has been the key to your success in the compliance field?

Kuncyte: The recognition was deeply meaningful to me because I believe it recognizes an important message – that compliance culture can be different. It can be approachable, human, and supportive rather than fear-driven. People should feel comfortable involving compliance early, not only when problems already exist.

CEEIHM: How do you define an effective compliance function in a fast-growing financial institution?

Kuncytė: I believe one of the most underestimated parts of compliance is proactive communication. My approach has always been to stay closely connected with business functions, management, and stakeholders in order to understand the bigger picture early. When compliance becomes trusted and involved at the right stage, it naturally becomes a seamless part of organization processes, and that is exactly the goal.

CEEIHM: What are the biggest compliance risks facing fintechs and challenger banks in Europe today?

Kuncyte: I believe one of the biggest challenges today is that compliance still lags behind the level of digitalization already expected from business itself. Automation, AI, and smart tools are already becoming basic hygiene for many industries, but compliance is still often heavily manual. I believe the future of compliance is much more proactive, technology-driven, and AI-supported.

CEEIHM: What metrics or KPIs do you use to assess whether a compliance program is actually effective?

KPIs matter, but culture matters more. The strongest indicator for me is whether people involve compliance already at the design stage of projects or ideas. If people write emails, call, message compliance teams, and ask questions whenever they are uncertain, then I know compliance is trusted and actually works.

CEEIHM: Looking back at your career, what lessons have had the biggest impact on your leadership style?

Kuncyte: One of the biggest lessons for me was understanding that leadership is not about being the best expert in the room. It is much more about supporting the expertise of others. I now naturally accept the idea that the stronger my team is, the easier my life becomes as a leader and the bigger the benefit to the organization.

CEEIHM: Outside of your work, what’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?

Kuncyte: Outside of work, I am a passionate hiker. One of my current dreams is to complete the GR20 trail in Corsica.

Read the full interview here.