Fiserv vs Klarna: Founders, CEOs and History
Fiserv was founded in 1984 by Leslie M. Muma, George D. Dalton and is led by Takis Georgakopoulos. Klarna was founded in 2005 by Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth, Victor Jacobsson and is led by Sebastian Siemiatkowski.
Company facts
Founders
Fiserv
Leslie M. Muma
Leslie M. Muma is a co-founder of Fiserv. He led the company's Florida operations after the 1984 merger, served as president for many years and later succeeded George Dalton as CEO, leading Fiserv until Jeff Yabuki took over in 2005.
George D. Dalton
George D. Dalton co-founded Fiserv in 1984 and served as its first CEO and chairman.
Klarna
Sebastian Siemiatkowski
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, born in 1981 in Sweden to Polish immigrant parents, co-founded Klarna (originally Kreditor) with Niklas Adalberth and Victor Jacobsson in 2005.
Niklas Adalberth
Niklas Adalberth co-founded Klarna in 2005 with Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Victor Jacobsson and helped run the business during its expansion as Deputy CEO.
Victor Jacobsson
Victor Jacobsson co-founded Klarna in 2005 with Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Niklas Adalberth.
CEOs and their tenures
Fiserv
- Jeff Yabuki2005–2020
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2005 to 2020, he generated absolutely massive shareholder returns (the stock rose over 900% during his tenure) by ruthlessly acquiring and integrating hundreds of smaller fintech companies.
Source - Frank J. Bisignano2020–2025
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
As CEO of the combined Fiserv, he aggressively pushes the 'Clover' point-of-sale hardware to directly combat Square (Block) and Toast in the fiercely competitive restaurant and small business sector.
Source - Paul Todd2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he manages the massive capital return program (billions in share buybacks) that keeps the stock price highly elevated despite severe competitive threats to the core business.
Source - Michael P. Lyons2025–2026
President and Chief Executive Officer
As a key segment president, he defends the incredibly sticky, highly lucrative bank technology division from modern, cloud-based core banking upstarts like nCino and Mambu.
Source - Takis Georgakopoulos2026–present
Chief Executive Officer
Appointed as a senior executive in 2024, he oversees the absolutely critical merchant acceptance business, attempting to modernize the legacy infrastructure that powers millions of global transactions daily.
Source
Klarna
- Sebastian Siemiatkowski2005–present
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Has led Klarna since its founding, growing it from a Stockholm invoice startup into a $3.5 billion-revenue public company.
Source - Niklas Adalberth2005–2015
Co-founder, former Deputy CEO
As Co-Founder, he served as Deputy CEO, scaling the company across Europe before resigning in 2015 to found the Norrsken Foundation, a tech-focused philanthropic fund.
Source - Niclas Neglén2021–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he engineered the severe cost-cutting measures required to drive the company back toward profitability ahead of its highly anticipated US IPO.
Source
Timeline: Fiserv and Klarna side by side
1984Fiserv
Fiserv founded
George Dalton's Milwaukee data processing operation and Leslie Muma's Sunshine State Systems combined to form Fiserv.
1986Fiserv
Nasdaq IPO
Fiserv went public on Nasdaq under the ticker FISV.
2005Fiserv
Jeffery Yabuki Becomes CEO
Jeffery Yabuki became chief executive of Fiserv in December 2005.
2005Klarna
Founded as Kreditor
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth and Victor Jacobsson launch an invoice-after-delivery service for Swedish online shops.
2007Fiserv
CheckFree acquisition
Bought online bill payment company CheckFree for about $4.4 billion.
2009Klarna
Renamed Klarna
Kreditor is rebranded as Klarna and expands across the Nordics and into Germany and the Netherlands.
2010Klarna
Sequoia Capital Invests
Sequoia Capital invested in Klarna in 2010.
2013Fiserv
Open Solutions Acquired
Fiserv bought the banking-software company Open Solutions in January 2013.
2014Klarna
Acquires SOFORT
Klarna completes its purchase of German bank-transfer payment provider SOFORT, giving it scale in the DACH region.
2015Klarna
US Launch
Klarna launched in the United States in 2015.
2017Klarna
Swedish banking licence
Klarna receives a full banking licence from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, operating as Klarna Bank AB.
2018Fiserv
Fiserv Forum Naming Rights
Fiserv bought the naming rights to the Milwaukee Bucks arena, Fiserv Forum, in 2018.
2019Fiserv
First Data merger
Completed the all-stock acquisition of First Data, valued around $22 billion, adding Clover and merchant acquiring.
2020Fiserv
Frank Bisignano becomes CEO
Former First Data CEO Frank Bisignano succeeded Jeff Yabuki.
2021Klarna
$45.6 billion valuation
A SoftBank-led funding round values Klarna at $45.6 billion during the pandemic e-commerce boom.
2022Fiserv
Acquired Finxact
Fiserv acquired Finxact for $650 million.
2022Klarna
Valuation reset and layoffs
Klarna cuts about 10% of staff in May and raises money in July at a $6.7 billion valuation.
2023Fiserv
Move to NYSE as FI
Fiserv transferred its listing to the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker FI.
2024Klarna
Return to net profit
Klarna reports a $21 million net profit for 2024 on $2.81 billion of revenue.
2025Fiserv
Mike Lyons becomes CEO; stock crashes
Lyons took over in May 2025 when Bisignano became Social Security Commissioner. On October 29, 2025, shares fell 44% after a guidance cut; Paul Todd became CFO and the company returned to Nasdaq as FISV.
2025Klarna
NYSE IPO
Klarna lists on the New York Stock Exchange as KLAR in September 2025, pricing at $40 per share.
2026Fiserv
Takis Georgakopoulos named CEO
Lyons left in June 2026 to run Truist; Georgakopoulos was appointed CEO. In August, Fiserv cut 2026 guidance after a 4% Q2 revenue decline.
2026Klarna
FY2025 results
Klarna reports $3.51 billion of FY2025 revenue, $127.9 billion of GMV, $65 million of adjusted operating profit and a $273 million net loss.
2026Klarna
Q2 profit and guidance cut
Klarna posts a $9 million Q2 2026 net profit on $1.042 billion of revenue but lowers 2026 GMV guidance to $149-151 billion.
Acquisitions
Fiserv
- Finxact2022$650M
- First Data Corporation2019$22B
- CheckFree Corporation2007$4.4B
Klarna
- PriceRunner2022Undisclosed
- APPRL2021Undisclosed
- HERO2021Undisclosed
- Stocard2021Undisclosed
- Moneymour2020Undisclosed
- BillPay2017Undisclosed
Questions about Fiserv vs Klarna
Who is the CEO of Fiserv, Inc. and Klarna Group plc?
Fiserv, Inc. is led by Takis Georgakopoulos and Klarna Group plc is led by Sebastian Siemiatkowski. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Fiserv, Inc. founded vs Klarna Group plc?
Fiserv, Inc. was founded in 1984 — 21 years before Klarna Group plc, which was founded in 2005. Fiserv, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Klarna Group plc.
How many employees does Fiserv, Inc. have compared to Klarna Group plc?
Fiserv, Inc. employs approximately 38,000 people, while Klarna Group plc employs approximately 2,831. Fiserv, Inc. has the larger workforce at 38,000 employees, compared to Klarna Group plc's 2,831. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Fiserv, Inc. and Klarna Group plc headquartered?
Fiserv, Inc. is headquartered in United States and Klarna Group plc is headquartered in United Kingdom. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Fiserv, Inc. and Klarna Group plc?
Fiserv, Inc. was founded by Leslie M. Muma, George D. Dalton. Klarna Group plc was founded by Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth, Victor Jacobsson.
Which company has a longer operating history — Fiserv, Inc. or Klarna Group plc?
Fiserv, Inc. has been operating for approximately 42 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Klarna Group plc has been in operation for around 21 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Fiserv vs Klarna overview