Overstone Spotlight
Katerina Russman: Head of Operations
Can you tell us about your career journey and what brought you to Overstone?
I started my career at KROLL, the leading independent provider of financial and risk advisory solutions. During my time there, I became part of a working group exploring the possibilities of business expansion into the art market. It was 2021, mid-pandemic and the art world was undergoing a seismic shift as it was forced online.
I became fascinated by the sudden increased digitisation of an industry that was so rooted in the tradition of in-person events, experiences and transactions. Beeple's NFT had just sold for $69 million, virtual showrooms and exhibitions were developing and blockchain use cases were being explored to usher in transparency and democratize access to art as an investment.
My interest in the latter led me to enter the art and finance industry as the first FTE at Frankfurt-based fintech 360X Art AG, the art vertical of the 360X Group, backed by Commerzbank and Deutsche Börse. Here, I worked closely with leadership as a Project Manager to develop a tokenization platform for the creation of digital shares in physical artworks.
Thereafter, I spent a period working as a Product Manager at a larger fintech, the scale-up Modulr, where I was able to build out my knowledge of software development and further my experience working with engineers, managing a team of 8 remotely.
I am overjoyed to have joined fintech Overstone as Head of Operations because it allows me to combine my varied experience across project management and operations in client-facing roles, my understanding of tech/product and my knowledge of art and finance. Joining Overstone at such a key stage of growth is very exciting and I look forward to working with company's deep network of lenders, auction houses, family offices and insurers.
In your view, what makes Overstone a unique company to work for?
Overstone's service offering is truly broad ranging: from digital risk assessments, collateral monitoring and valuations services via the company's proprietary platform, due diligence through to bespoke consulting service. As Head of Operations, this gives me the exciting opportunity to work cross-functionally across the art, data and platform teams, as well as with the leadership team.
I am inspired by how Overstone's unique combination of innovative technology, proprietary data and human expertise from art specialists with decades of experience in the market places it in a powerful position within the industry. Overstone's roster of top institutional clients and the company's recent forging of a strategic partnership with the #1 US wealth reporting platform, Addepar, is certainly testament to this.
How do you see the intersection of art and finance evolving?
Whilst art has universally been a passion investment and seen as cultural capital, the democratization of art as a financial asset has been interesting to witness. There are strong use cases of new technologies such as blockchain, including fractionalization, which I believe will continue to develop and help to lower barriers to entry in the art market.
The developments at an institutional level are also fascinating. Deloitte + ArtTactic's 2025 Art & Finance Report detailed how 51% of wealth managers now offer art-related services - an increase from just 25% a decade ago.
I am also particularly interested in following the use cases of art financing in the context of cultural institutions such as museums, which can leverage the value of collections for financial support.
...and finally, if any artwork could hang on your wall, which one would you choose and why?
I love the work of Flora Yukhnovich because of her unique spin on rococo art, giving her paintings a breathtakingly modern look. I have always been attracted to works that include elements of abstract art, but also visual reality, playing with the expectations and response of the viewer.
I find the ethereal and fantastical worlds Yukhnovich creates intoxicating and I am interested in how she draws inspiration from film and advertisements in her effort to connect the contemporary and the historical. One of my favourite pieces is Butter Wouldn't Melt (2020), which allows me to continuously come back to it, each time with new impressions.