Ministry of Finance establishes new division in Technology Department: Senior high-tech executive appointed
The Ministry of Finance is establishing a dedicated product division within its Technology Department for the first time. Vlad Bernin, a senior executive with extensive experience in the high-tech and fintech sectors, has been appointed as the ministry's first Chief Product Officer (CPO).
The Ministry of Finance is expanding its technological and digital capabilities by establishing, for the first time, a dedicated product division within its Technology Department. As part of this initiative, Vlad Bernin has been appointed as the ministry's first Chief Product Officer (CPO).
Bernin joins the Ministry of Finance following more than two decades in the high-tech and fintech industry, where he held various leadership roles. In his most recent position, he served as VP of Product at Mesh Payments, and previously held key roles at companies including Gett, Zooz, Shift4, and Max.
His experience includes leading complex products and systems in payments, billing, SaaS, and fintech—areas directly relevant to a significant portion of the Ministry of Finance's digital and financial operations.
Conceptual change in the Technology Department
Bernin's appointment is part of a broader shift led by the Ministry of Finance to transform how technological services and systems are developed and managed, moving from an operational focus to a product management approach.
The goal is to adopt principles standard in leading technology companies: placing the user at the center, measuring value, shortening development cycles, and building end-to-end digital solutions. In the public sector, this involves applying product management concepts not only internally but also to services provided to citizens, businesses, and other government bodies.
From high-tech to public service
This appointment aligns with a broader trend of integrating private-sector technology talent into government to accelerate the digitization of public services. Concurrently, the Ministry of Finance's Technology Department is recruiting for several additional positions to support the expansion of the new product division and the development of new technological capabilities.
Bernin’s appointment brings the working language of the tech industry—product management, data-driven decision-making, and user experience—into a central government ministry. These skills will be applied in an arena where success is measured not only by user numbers but by the ability to tangibly improve public services and the state's interaction with its citizens.
