Malt names finance & product chiefs as users top 1m

Malt has appointed Caroline Barbery-Mebrouk as Chief Finance Officer and Sébastien Bardin as Chief Product Officer as the freelance management platform passes one million registered independent experts.

The company now serves more than 100,000 businesses worldwide, underscoring the leadership changes as it expands internationally.

Barbery-Mebrouk joins after 13 years at Teads, where she worked in finance across international operations in more than 30 countries. Her experience in a two-sided marketplace is relevant to Malt's business model, which connects companies with freelance professionals.

Bardin brings a background in product leadership in business travel technology. He previously served as Vice President of Product at American Express Global Business Travel and held product roles at Egencia, part of Expedia Group.

At Malt, he will oversee the international product team, covering the platform companies use to source, contract and manage freelance workers from Malt's network.

The appointments come as many employers continue to focus on external specialists, particularly in technology, data, marketing, communications and management consulting. Malt's marketplace is used by companies of different sizes seeking independent experts across those fields.

Founded in 2013, Malt has grown into one of Europe's larger freelance management platforms. Alongside matching clients with freelancers, it offers tools for contracting, payments, reporting and compliance.

Executive hires

Barbery-Mebrouk set out her priorities in a statement accompanying the announcement.

"I am delighted to be joining Malt and be a part of a team that is changing the future of work at a crucial time for many European businesses. I look forward to partnering with the leadership team to steer Malt's financial strategy, enabling the company to scale sustainably and profitably," said Caroline Barbery-Mebrouk, Chief Finance Officer at Malt.

Bardin also outlined his priorities in the role.

"It is a pleasure to be accelerating Malt as it pioneers the future of independent work. I welcome the opportunity to lead the product team as Malt pursues its global expansion, and to use my experience to drive its product strategy," said Sébastien Bardin.

The appointments add senior executives with experience in marketplace businesses and international operations, both increasingly important for platforms managing large networks of external workers and business customers across borders.

For finance teams, that typically means managing multi-country operations, payment flows and regulatory requirements. For product teams, it means balancing the needs of companies hiring specialists with those of freelancers using the marketplace to find work and manage assignments.

Growth stage

Malt linked the appointments to a broader growth phase as it expands its international reach. The freelance market continues to grow as companies rely on independent professionals and consultants to address skills shortages and support technology projects.

Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder Vincent Huguet commented on the appointments and the market backdrop.

"Caroline and Sébastien are fantastic additions to Malt. The freelance market continues to expand as businesses frequently lean on independent experts and consultants to accelerate technological transformation in the AI era and fill skill gaps as their organisations grow.

"We are delighted to have two experienced and knowledgeable leaders join Malt, and look forward to drawing on their track record of scaling tech marketplaces 10x as we strengthen our finance and product capabilities and continue enhancing our platform, the home of independent work," said Vincent Huguet, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Malt.

Malt's model reflects a wider shift in how companies buy specialist labour, with businesses increasingly using online platforms to find short-term or project-based expertise rather than relying only on permanent hiring. That has helped create a sizeable market for services that combine talent discovery with administrative tools for payments, contracts and oversight.

The latest executive appointments place finance and product leadership at the centre of that effort as Malt manages a network of more than one million registered independent experts and a customer base of more than 100,000 companies worldwide.