Payment Expert’s ID Check: Payments Professionals offers insight from industry leaders and experts on how they got their start in the financial industry, from their early years in education, to how they have been able to climb the corporate ladder.
This week, Robin Gerum, CEO and Co-Founder of Fuels, says while he comes from a financial background, he has applied news learnings from entrepreneurs to find a gap in the traditional finance market.
Where did you go to university and what did you study? What impact did this have?
I studied finance and accounting at the University of New Hampshire in the US, and later earned a Master’s in finance and investments in Rotterdam.
I probably learned more about life than about markets during those years. Being abroad, figuring things out on my own, and saying yes to new opportunities shaped how I approach challenges. The real lessons in finance came later, when I was responsible for a listed company’s finances and things started to move fast.
What was the first job you had in the industry and are there any lessons from this you still draw from?
My first experience in the industry was an internship at a private equity firm in the US, which gave me an early glimpse of how capital and ownership interact.
My first full-time job was at Carnegie Investment Bank in Stockholm. It was demanding, structured, and intense, with long hours and a steep learning curve, but also a fantastic school in how to stay detail-oriented and calm under pressure. I still rely on that foundation in my work today, though the context is very different.
Who was your biggest role model – inside or outside of your industry – who continues to inspire you in your current career?
I’ve always been drawn to surrounding myself with entrepreneurs, probably because I’m inspired by people with genuine dedication.
In sport, I’m fascinated by individuals who find new levels under pressure, the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimović, Sarah Sjöström, Erik Pärsson or even our Nordic neighbour Johannes HøsflotKlæbo, who have the ability to lift when it matters most. That combination of focus and resilience is something I really admire, both in sport and in business.
When was your first big break in the industry? Why was this such a significant moment for you?
The real turning point came when I started working closely with entrepreneurs and owners, seeing how their capital was structured, often with substantial value but limited liquidity. That’s when the idea of Fuels began to form.
I wanted to build a platform that understands the realities of ownership and offers financing that fits around it. It shifted my perspective from analysing companies from the outside, to enabling them from the inside.
Was there a moment you faced in the industry that really challenged you? How did you overcome this?
The challenge that shaped me most was realising how rigid traditional financing can be. Many successful entrepreneurs and investors sit on illiquid assets yet struggle to access capital when opportunities arise.
Seeing that gap, and later working to close it through Fuels, was both challenging and rewarding. It taught me the importance of flexibility and clear judgment in financing, beyond what traditional frameworks sometimes allow.
If you didn’t work in the industry, what other career option would you have pursued or would have loved to?
Construction design and architecture have always interested me. During my time in the industry, I followed the development of Karlatornet, the tallest building in the Nordics, from close range. What stood out was seeing how a small team has to commit to critical structural decisions very early, knowing those choices will stand for decades and be tested by every imaginable condition.
There was something very tangible about that work, creating something real and permanent, and it’s also a big part of why we built Fuels and who we want to support.
Lastly, what is some advice you would give to an aspiring person looking to get a start in your industry?
Learn to see the full picture, not just the financials but the people and incentives behind them. Be open-minded and patient enough to build experience before forming strong opinions. And remember, trust is still the currency everything else depends on. That’s true in banking, and it’s central to how we’ve built Fuels.
