Shaping My FinTech Career Through Riverty’s International Trainee Program
After gaining four years of experience in fintech and completing his studies in International Relations, Max joined Riverty through its Trainee Program. There, he explored different roles across Product, Data, Engineering, and Strategy. He soon took the lead on the Parking+ and Innovation Workshop initiatives before going on to rebuild Riverty’s documentation portal. Today, as a Senior Product Manager in Payment Gateway, he works on improving backend systems to make payments simpler, more efficient, and seamless for people and businesses.
Hi, I’m Maximilian.
I live in Berlin and work as a Senior Product Manager in Riverty’s Payment Gateway team. I focus on backend systems and help build the technology that keeps payments running smoothly across many products and teams. I joined Riverty, then known as Arvato Financial Solutions, as an International Trainee after my master’s degree in international relations with a focus on finance. I knew I wanted to work in finance and tech but was not yet sure which role fit me best. The Trainee Program gave me the first solid block of experience: job security at a vulnerable time and the freedom to explore roles, confirm strengths, and test my interests in real projects.
From International Relations to FinTech Product Management in Berlin
From the beginning, I had ownership. My first role was project manager for the Parking+ Innovation Workshop, working with an innovation consultant Riverty brought in. While the consultant led the workshops and presentations, I handled the deliverables, extra meetings, deadlines, and team motivation. I was supported by a cross functional team, but the results still depended directly on my work. That showed me I was not just part of a graduate program but trusted to lead a project that mattered. During the traineeship, I worked with product, data, engineering, and strategy teams, which refined my analytical skills and built my first technical skills.
How Product Managers Enable Better FinTech Solutions.
Germany is changing from a mostly manufacturing economy to a more digital service economy.
This led to my first role as a Junior Product Manager, where I rebuilt Riverty’s documentation portal. Documentation may sound minor, but many development teams judge a product by it, and the new portal became an important sales and communication tool. It made it easier for teams to understand and use our products, and I still rely on this skill today. Clear documentation supports improvement and new technical procedures. You cannot solve everything with a startup. Established companies also need to change and grow, and Riverty is doing that as a company with a long history.
Shaping FinTech Product Management
I work in Product Management with a focus on backend infrastructure. I do not work directly with the open market. I support Riverty teams that bring products to market. My goal each day is to make payments easy in as many situations as possible. When payments run smoothly, colleagues can focus on creating value for merchants and consumers. Paying can sometimes feel like going through airport security, but it should not. I look for improvements and turn them into action. Every system and process we improve makes life easier for teams and customers.
Maximilian Tirey
Senior Product Manager Product Management Payments & Finance
Why I Recommend Riverty for Trainees and Career Changers in FinTech
Because it is designed for deep diving generalists. If you often find a new topic to explore, this program is for you. It gives you space to learn across teams, test ideas, and grow into roles you might not have imagined at the start.
For me, my trainee program was the springboard that helped me move from a broad interest in international affairs and finance into a clear role in shaping fintech from the inside. Today, I use that experience to keep shaping my own career, support Riverty’s goals, and help build financial services that work better for people and businesses.
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Maximilian joined Riverty, then known as Arvato Financial Solutions, after completing his master’s degree in International Relations with a focus on finance. During the trainee program, he worked across several teams and took responsibility for projects such as the Parking+ Innovation Workshop.
After completing the program, he became a Junior Product Manager and rebuilt Riverty’s documentation portal. This project helped him develop important product management skills and gave him experience improving tools used by colleagues and customers. He later progressed to his current role as a Senior Product Manager in the Payment Gateway team.
In his current role, Maximilian focuses on backend systems and infrastructure that support payment processes across different products and teams. Rather than working directly on the open market, he supports the teams responsible for bringing products to merchants and consumers.
His aim is to make payments as smooth and efficient as possible. By improving systems and processes behind the scenes, he helps colleagues focus on creating value while making the payment experience easier for customers and businesses.
The program may be a good fit for curious people who enjoy exploring new subjects and working across different teams. You do not necessarily need to have a traditional fintech or technical background. Maximilian studied International Relations, but his interest in finance and technology motivated him to explore a career in fintech.
Candidates who are adaptable, comfortable learning new tools, and willing to take ownership of projects can benefit particularly from the program. It is well suited to people who see themselves as broad-minded generalists and want to discover which role best matches their strengths.
Yes. Maximilian’s experience shows that trainees can be trusted with substantial responsibilities. While working on the Parking+ Innovation Workshop, he coordinated deliverables, managed deadlines, organized additional meetings, and helped keep a cross-functional team aligned.
This meant that he was not simply observing more experienced colleagues. He was actively contributing to a project and was accountable for important outcomes. Experiences like this can help trainees build confidence, leadership skills, and a clearer understanding of the type of work they want to pursue.
The trainee program can provide a foundation for different career paths within Riverty. Maximilian used the experience to move into Product Management, but the exposure to Data, Engineering, Strategy, and other areas can help trainees identify a range of possible opportunities.
His journey also shows that career development does not have to follow a fixed plan. By exploring different teams and taking on new challenges, he was able to move from a broad interest in finance and technology to a Senior Product Manager role in Berlin. Candidates can use the program to build relevant skills, expand their network, and grow into roles they may not have considered initially.
SHAPE is Riverty's trainee program for people who want flexibility within a clear, agreed framework. From day one, you join Riverty on a permanent contract and choose a focus area together with our CXO organisation and senior leaders. You work on business projects from the start, supported by a buddy for day-to-day questions, a mentor to help you think ahead and regular feedback. “Shape” also means freedom and trust: you’re encouraged to bring in your ideas, challenge assumptions, improve workflows and influence how we work. During the program we plan your follow-up role together, based on what Riverty needs and how you want to grow.
You will join a global team in one of our locations in Europe, connected to more than 4,000 colleagues at around 30 sites in 12 European countries and backed by the Bertelsmann group. That gives you both stability and a modern fintech environment where people from different backgrounds shape Riverty. Whatever your gender, background or life story, you’ll find people here who care and are curious to learn from you.
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