FinTech Scotland

Whilst the fintech movement often makes headlines with those firms that are trying to replace traditional financial institutions, there are many more fintech firms out there trying to work, collaborate or sell to those incumbents to help them deliver better outcomes to their customers.

In this podcast we discuss the opportunities for increased collaboration and some of the challenges? Has the pandemic changed the state of play and what are the solutions to accelerate fintech adoption by historical brands?

This podcast will also be an opportunity to announce the launch of the fintech innovation forum at Phoenix.

Guests:

Josif Grace – CEO at Legado

Kevin Spence – Director Financial Services, Scotland & Client Partner

Andy Young – Group Head of Digital & UX at Phoenix Group

In March 2022, FinTech Scotland released its 10-year Fintech Research & Innovation Roadmap for the UK.

In collaboration with leading universities, large financial institutions, fintech businesses, citizens, industry experts and senior officials this report explores the opportunities that will help the UK maintain its fintech leadership globally.

In this episode we explore what this roadmap means for Scotland and what the next steps are to deliver on the roadmap recommendations.

The fintech movement hasn’t just disrupted the way customers and citizen deal with money and access financial products or large financial institutions digitise themselves. Fintech is transforming how SMEs work and organise themselves.

In this episode we’ll explore how fintech is transforming SMEs. We’ll discuss adoption rates, opportunities and challenges faced by fintechs trying to sell their solutions to SMEs. Can collaboration with trusted financial institution be the solution to mass adoption. We’ll also look at ahead and explore future trends.

Anthony Persse – CEO at Optimum Finance

Lynne Darcey Quigley – CEO and Founder of Know-it

Derek Smith – Head of Digital Solutions at Virgin Money

The Digital Banking Report Research by The Financial Brand shows that Customer Experience is the number 2 priority (just after digital transformation) for financial institution around the globe.

New entrants and changing customer expectations have fuelled this need for a greater focus on customer led design. COVID-19 has accelerated this trend by requiring companies to adapt to a fully digital world with no branches for customers to go to and the need to make customer support more efficient for staff working from home.

In this new episode we’ll explore why the focus on CX is so important; if new innovative firms still have the edge on their incumbent counterparts and what future trends we need to watch out for.

Andrew Duncan – CEO of fintech SOAR

Chris Speed – Professor of Design Informatics at the University of Edinburgh

Lotta Lindstrand - Senior CRO Analyst at Merkle EMEA

Saying that women are under-represented in fintech is an understatement. According to a 2018 LendIt survey, only 37 per cent of fintech employees are female, with representation dropping to just 19 per cent at C-suite level.

There are however some great success stories. Anne Boden, CEO at Starling Bank or closer to home Jude Cook, CEO and co-founder at ShareIn, Loral and Eishel Quinn at Sustainably and with us today Ana Galitsyna co-founder at fintech Baby Ready.

Whilst not being the majority, they are role models of leadership and real examples of what the “women difference” means in terms of entrepreneurship.

If fintech had a gender it would probably be female (in French it is “une fintech”), a movement destined to change the financial sector as we know it. Fintech is about democratisation, it is about better outcome for citizens and companies, empathy for customer problems and about inclusion; qualities that females have in abondance and are using to develop new innovative businesses.

In this episode we are joined by:

Ana Galitsyna - Co-founder at fintech Baby Ready

Yvonne Dunn – Partner at Pinsent Masons

Sarah Ronald – Founder at Nile HQ and investor at ParEquity

With COP26 taking place in Glasgow later this year, there is a real focus on the climate change issue. As all participating countries are asked to submit their new long-term goals to address the global climate emergency, we are asking ourselves today how fintech can participate in this global movement.

The United Nations, in their Principles for Responsible Banking, have recognised Financial Services as one of the components that will help tackle climate change.

Fintech, as a movement, is already trying to tackle economic and societal issues such as financial inclusion, better financial outcomes, better money management tools, etc. Can it also provide new innovative solution to combat climate change?

With our distinguished guests we’ll explore the role fintech can and ought to play in the race to save the planet. Will touch on some themes such as ESG, digital currencies and much more

Guests:

Daniel Broby – Director at the Centre for Financial Regulation and Innovation at Strathclyde Business School

Zee West – Co-founder at Picnic Bank

Natalie Jackson - Consultant at the Global Ethical Finance Initiative

The world of payment is being disrupted like never before, accelerated, in part, by the recent economic and societal changed imposed by COVID19.

Contactless payments, rise in online transactions coupled with increased concerns around fraud and cybersecurity mean that the sector is undergoing some unprecedented changes.

In this episode we explore what those changes mean in terms of innovation and from a regulation perspective with 3 fantastic guests: 

Genevieve Marjoribanks, Head of Policy and ExCo member at Payment Systems Regulator

Myles Stephenson, Chief Executive at Modulr

Brian Coburn, CEO at Br-dge

Cryptocurrencies are regularly featured in the press. Sometimes it’s about Bitcoin reaching a new high, sometimes about a new ICO launching. More recently we learnt that tech giant Elon Musk had bought into the digital currency movement.

There have been many debates since Bitcoin launched in 2008. There are those who believe crypto is just a temporary craze and those who believe it’s the future of money.

With global tech giants launching their own coins and new crypto reaching new highs, we discussed whether now was the start of global crypto adoption.

For our fourth podcast we’re bringing industry experts together to discuss the topic and listen to their views on the future of cryptocurrency.

Guests:

Temple Melvillle, Director at The Scotcoin Project

Nick Jones, CEO and co-founder at Zumo

Zion Schum, Founder and CEO at Leutheria