How Deel Built a $17 Billion Company in 7 Years - Dan Westgarth, COO
Podcast: Fintech LeadersPublished On: Tue Jan 13 2026
Description: Send us Fan MailMiguel Armaza interviews returning guest Dan Westgarth, COO of Deel, the company that's redefining how businesses hire and pay talent anywhere in the world.Deel has grown into one of the most valuable private tech companies on the planet. In 2025, they crossed one billion dollars in revenue, achieved a $17 billion valuation, and paid out $22 billion in payroll globally. Dan oversees an organization of 3,300 people across more than 100 countries. Before Deel, he was an early operator at Revolut.Timestamped Overview00:00 Intro & Dan’s Background05:51 Expanding products and global reach06:30 Optimized systems scaling go-to-market12:55 Begging for Ghostbusters Expertise13:41 RevOps solved with Ghostbuster18:05 Building a Streamlined Goal System20:26 Payroll and Adjacent HR Services26:09 Keep It Simple Prioritize People28:15 Morning Routine and Work Prioritization31:46 Clarifying Communication for Alignment35:27 Building payroll processing enginesWant more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today’s global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join ~85,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3jWIpqp
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