FinTech Scotland

Set to reshape how financial entities across Europe and beyond approach digital resilience, DORA is more than just another compliance requirement, it's a game-changer for fintechs, financial institutions, and third-party service providers. What does this mean for UK fintechs, particularly in a post Brexit landscape? How can firms prepare, adapt, and turn compliance into a competitive advantage?In this podcast we break down everything UK fintechs need to know about DORA, from key requirements to practical implementation strategies. Participant-Rob Mossop – Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at Sword Group-Luke Scanlon - Head of Fintech Propositions, Legal Director, Pinsent Masons-Mick O'Connor – Founder and CEO at Haelo

The global shift towards digital payments is accelerating, with cash usage declining year after year. From contactless transactions to mobile wallets and cryptocurrency, digital payments are reshaping the financial landscape. Are businesses and consumers fully prepared for a digital-only economy? What are the risks of excluding those who rely on cash? With 1.2 million people in the UK still reliant on cash, concerns around financial inclusion, cybersecurity, anddigital resilience remain.In this episode, we examine the implications of a cashless future, hear expert insights on the opportunities and challenges, and discuss whether the world is truly ready toleave physical money behind.Guests: Craig Forsythe – CEO and Founder at GiftroundChris Elsden - Chancellor's Fellow in Service Design at Institute for Design Informatics & Edinburgh Futures InstituteNeil Collman - Design Director at Nile

The payments landscape is going through major transformation. PSD2 has been disruptive and with the anticipated arrival of PSD3 a lot of questions are still to be answered. What does PSD3 mean for fintech businesses, banks, merchants, and consumers?In this episode, we explore the upcoming regulatory shifts, the opportunities and challenges they present, and what the future of payments might look like beyond PSD3. Will this be an evolution or a revolution?How will Open Banking, embedded finance, and digital walletsbe impacted? And is regulation moving too fast, or not fast enough?With Ann Zheng, Associate at Pinsent Masons

In this episode, we explore the complex challenges and opportunities that organisations face in delivering greater transparency, fairness, and accountability. As the industry evolves, both fintechs and established financial institutions must navigate these demands to not only meet regulatory requirements but also to exceed them through innovation, ethical practices, and customer-centric strategies. With Sajedah Karim - Partner at PwC. Sajedah Joseph Twigg - CEO at Scottish fintech Aveni John Finch – Professor of Marketing (B2B) at the University of Glasgow's Adam Smith Business School, and Associate Dean (East Asia) at the University of Glasgow's College of Social Sciences.

Join us for the second episode of the FinTech Scotland Podcast's special series on financial crime, produced in collaboration with our strategic partner BT. This episode looks into the growing and sophisticated threat of messaging fraud, a pressing issue in the financial sector. Charlotte Moir from BT is joined by Kevin Britt, Product Manager for Messaging at BT, and Paul Maskall, Strategic Fraud Prevention and Behavioural Lead Principal at UK Finance. Together, they unpack why messaging fraud is surging, explore why individuals and businesses continue to fall victim despite increased awareness, and reveal innovative measures being developed to stay ahead of the fraudsters. We also speak about the exciting work happening in FinTech Scotland's Financial Regulation Innovation Lab in Glasgow. With major financial institutions like Morgan Stanley, HSBC, and Virgin Money setting challenges, fintechs and tech innovators from around the globe are stepping up to collaborate and tackle financial crime.

In this episode we're diving into the Consumer Duty Regulation and the opportunities that outcomes-based regulation opens for innovative solutions that can enable financial services to maximise positive outcomes for all customers and in turn create economic and social growth. The Financial Regulation Innovation Lab has launched its third innovation challenge focusing on that topic with 14 financial services partners ranging from banks, building societies and credit unions. NatWest have been a keen supporter of this challenge seeing to harness the brightest ideas in fintech and to bring industry together on this key topic. Today, we'll explore what this means for financial services organisations, for the millions of people across the country who are customers of Financial Services firms and how innovation and ambitious fintechs are already making a difference. With: Will Kerr, Head of Customer Outcomes Samantha Brand Customer Lead Innovation & Partnerships

This is the inaugural episode of a special FinTech Scotland Podcast Series, co-hosted with with Charlotte Moir fromBT. This episode highlights the launch of the new FinCrime Innovation Programme, tackling the pressing issue of fraud and financial crime. We'll unpack the impact of fraud in 2023, with £460 million lost to APP fraud in the UK, and discuss the implications of the new PSR mandatory reimbursement scheme introduced in October 2023. This landmark change enforces stricter rules within Faster Payments, ensures a shared responsibility between payment firms, and provides enhanced protections for customers, especially the vulnerable. Our guests bring diverse insights into the fight against fraud: • Lauren Cassells, Research & Programme Innovation Manager at FinTech Scotland, discusses the collaborative efforts of the FRIL initiative and its industry-wide engagement. • Brian Webb, Chief Security Officer for Consumer at BT, shares BT's strategies in combating fraud and fostering innovative partnerships. • Paddy O'Keefe, Economic Crime Public & Private Partners Manager at Virgin Money, explores Virgin Money's initiatives to ensure comprehensive fraud reporting and prevention.

Open Finance is set to unlock a new level of transparency, accessibility, and control for consumers, businesses, and financial institutions. But what does this mean for the future of the financial ecosystem, and how will key players navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with it? We discuss what Open Finance really means, the progress made so far, and what the future holds for consumers, fintechs, and traditional banks alike. Guests: Ezechi Britton – CEO at the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) Jen Lothian – Founder at MyArk

In this episode of the Fintech Scotland podcast, host Mickael Paris discusses the rise of digital wallets with guests Tim Sabanov, Maxim Galash, and Bill Buchanan. The conversation explores the definition of digital wallets, the key drivers behind their rise, the role of digital identity, and the impact of regulation. The guests highlight the importance of education and strong use cases for mass adoption, as well as the potential of digital wallets to address financial inclusion for the unbanked population.

In this episode of the Fintech Scotland podcast, host Mickael Paris discusses the intersection of open finance and generative AI with industry experts. The conversation explores the potential of generative AI to provide personalized financial advice, the regulatory challenges that accompany these innovations, and the importance of maintaining consumer trust in AI-driven financial services. The guests share insights on the evolution of robo-advice, the future of financial services, and the role of regulation in fostering innovation while ensuring consumer protection.

In this episode we speak with Mark Hadfield from "Meet the 85%", Manuel Maqueda from Harvard University, strategic adviser Max Nokhrin and Victor Milligan from Cairnbridge Advisors about the current state of ESG and associated regulations. What are their insights and recommendations? What the FinTech Scotland's Financial Regulation Innovation Lab can deliver and their hopes for the programme.

In this episode Richard Nicol from the Phoenix Group and Tom Mcfarlane from EY speak to us about the ESG challenges they are facing and why they decided to join the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab programme to find solutions to those challenges as well as what they are looking for with applicants. To apply for this innovation call visit this page.

In this podcast, our partners at Label Sessions interviewed Antony Brookes and Ruairidh Patfield from abrdn to hear about their experience of getting involved in the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab's first innovation call. Alongside Tesco Bank, Virgin Money, Morgan Stanley and Deloitte they worked with the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde to reshape financial compliance through AI and emerging technologies. Calling fintechs from around the world to get involved they selected 5 of them to partner with. In this podcast we also hear from those 5 organisations with: Callum Murray (Amiqus) Mick O'Connor (Haelo) Daniel munro (Level-E) Neil Sinclair (Pytilia) Simon Dix (DX Compliance) To apply for our new Innovation Challenge on reshaping ESG in Financial Services visit https://www.fintechscotland.com/what-we-do/financial-regulation-innovation-lab/shaping-the-future-of-esg-in-financial-services/

We're at Money2020 and we sat down with Maysara Hammouda, Founder and CEO of Scottish fintech Predictiva. We spoke about his solution that uses AI in the trading sector, his views on the future of AI and the future of trading and the real benefits and challenges poised by the development of AI.

In this episode we spoke with Megan Grant from Edinburgh-based fintech Appointedd about Consumer Duty and the role that new innovative technologies can play in supporting established financial firms meet those new requirements. At the end we also mentioned Megan's next challenge, swimming the channel to raise money for charity. To support her follow this link. https://www.justgiving.com/page/megan-grant-channel-swim

In this episode, we explore the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in streamlining compliance within the financial sector, showcasing the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab. We discuss the future of financial compliance, enriched by AI's capability to automate and innovate. This episode is for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, finance, and regulation, offering insights into the collaborative efforts shaping a more compliant and efficient financial landscape. Guests:  Antony Brookes - Head of UK Investment Compliance, abrdn Mark Cummins - Professor of Financial Technology at University of Strathclyde Joanne Seagrave - Head of Regulatory Affairs at Tesco Bank

Episode recording with Fintech Australia. Fintech has emerged as a transformative force in the financial sector, offering innovative solutions that not only enhance financial services but also address broader societal issues, including environmental sustainability, customer vulnerability, and overall financial well-being. Those objectives are heavily featured in the Research & Innovation Roadmap that we published 2 years ago. In Scotland, we have an important number of fintechs addressing those challenges. In fact, the majority of Scottish fintechs are fintech for good. Today we'll take some time to consider how those organisations are driving positive changes.    Guests:  Ren Hooi, Founder and CEO at Lightning Reach Robin Peters, Co-founder and CEO at Snugg Sheila Hogan, Founder and CEO at Biscuit Tin

In the ever-evolving landscape of fintech, securing Series A investment is a crucial milestone. Raising investment is much more than just about the money and we're going to explore what that means in this episode. We will delve into the crucial stage of Series A fundraising for fintech companies and speak about investor mindset, pitching, challenges and pitfalls. This episode is for fintech entrepreneurs gearing up for Series A, investors keen on the latest trends, and anyone curious about the intersection of finance and technology.  Participants Guests:  Jason Cohen – Associate Director - Corporate Finance at PwC UK Royston Hoggarth - Chair at Stellar Omada Limited

During this special episode of Fintech Scotland's Podcast we recorded live from the Fintech Summit, the opening event of Scotland Fintech Festival that took place between the 21st of September and the 12th of October 2023. In this episode we spoke to Bryn Coulthard, Chief Product and Technology officer at Smart Data Foundry. We discussed the role of data as an enabler for collaboration between fintech firms and established financial firms. More specifically we looked at synthetic data to innovate in a safe and efficient way.

In this special fintech festival episode Fintech Scotland and Findr spoke with Rebecca Midgley, Innovation Manager, at the Phoenix Group. We spoke about their innovation forum, how they partner with fintechs and how they are looking to tackle societal issues such as the gender saving gap.

In this special 2023 Scotland Fintech Festival episode we spoke with Mike Teall, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Scottish fintech Snugg and Adam Betteridge, Partnerships and Open Banking Lead at TSB. We discussed TSB Innovation Labs that saw Snugg secure a partnership with TSB, helping the bank's customer make their homes greener. We focus specifically on what makes for a good collaboration between established financial firms and fintechs.

Scotland Fintech Festival took place between the 21st of September and the 12th of October. With over 50 events the festival was a real success this time again. During the launch event, the Fintech Summit, we recorded special episodes in collaboration with collaboration platform Findr. In this episode we speak with Nicola Anderson, CEO at Fintech Scotland about the festival itself as well as initiatives that are underway, delivering the recommendations of the UK Research & Innovation Roadmap.

Lending money is a process that has long been around and for many years it was left undisrupted. People are very familiar now with credit scores and the idea that to get credit you need credit. New solutions and technologies are coming to disrupt this market to make financial products more accessible to a greater number of people. In this episode we'll look at how Open Finance is changing the status quo and look at some fantastic examples of fintech innovation. We'll also look at how credit bureaus are adapting and partnering with fintechs to evolve their own models. Guests:  Robert McKechnie – Head of Products at Equifax Crawford Taylor – CEO and Founder at Nude

By Now Pay Later is not something new. Offline, it's a process that goes back several decades. Online we've started to see offers develop in the last 10 years with a real acceleration powered by fintech innovation in the last 5 years. In the UK this market represents $27Bn and is expected to reach $55Bn by 2028 according to Payments Cards and Mobile. Recently we've started to witness the appearance of what's called BNPL 2.0. According to CU today 61% of BNPL users would rather use a BNPL service offered directly from the merchant they're buying from than go through a third party. In this episode we'll be speaking about BNPL2.0 and wonder if this is in fact the future, its advantages and pitfalls Guests:  Geordie Laing – Head of Partnerships at Zing Cover Thomas Bull – Partner at EY and Head of Fintech Growth

On November 10th, 2022, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) was approved by the EU. It is designed to standardise IT risk requirements in the financial sector to ensure that all participants of the financial system are subject to a common set of.    Amongst other things it introduces an oversight framework for critical third-party providers.   In this podcast we will discuss how this new EU regulation can impact fintech firms that are very often providing 3rd party services to established financial firms. Guests: Yvonne Dunn, Partner at Pinsent Masons Wayne Scott, Regulatory Compliance Solutions Lead at NCC Jamie Graves, technical advisor on the TrueDeploy project

In this special episode with speak with David Tracy, Head of Data Science, at Smart Data Foundry on the week they presented their new Aisle proposition at Innovate Finance Global Summit. What is synthetic data is? How is it different from real-world data?   We'll explore how it will speed up innovation and collaboration in the fintech world, what the risks and benefits are and much more.   David will also speak to us about the work they've done with the FCA and the PSR to tackle APP fraud using Agent Based Simulation.

Scaling up a fintech business is a crucial part of a company's life, moving from launching and validating a proposition to growing, onboarding clients and driving revenue. At that stage companies will focus on marketing, sales, recruitment which are all important considerations. It is however paramount to also look at resilience to protect customers/clients, adhere to new regulation, be investor ready and navigate procurement better and faster.   In this podcast we will explore what being resilient mean. We'll cover cyber resilience of course but will go much wider and look at how to build a solid and future proof business.  Guests:  Wayne Scott – Regulatory Compliance Solutions Lead David Lanc – Founder and CEO at Ionburst

In July 2022, the FCA published its Consumer Duty. Regulated firms need to implement the new rules by the end of July 2023 for open products and July 2024 for closed books of business. Firms will need to review their products, communications and customer journey. It will impact most areas in those organisations such as governance, reporting, product design, pricing, distribution, servicing and staff training. In this podcast we will review the key principles, ask ourselves what the impact on both established firms and fintechs is as well as exploring innovative technologies that can help adhere to those new rules. Guests: Venetia Jackson – Senior Associate at Pinsent Masons Joseph Twigg – Founder and CEO at Aveni Chris Ansara – Founder and CEO at docStribute

When thinking about payroll generally most people would assume that it is something that works well. You work, you get paid. However, payroll is being disrupted like never before. According to software company Intuit, one in four workers say they have had paycheque errors. And cloud company Kronos found almost half of workers who have had two or more paycheque errors will look for a new job. Society is changing fast (even more so after COVID). In this podcast we'll explore how those changes are impacting the way people work, get paid, pay taxes and how new fintech solutions are developing to make this possible. Guests: Ian Hogg – Chairman of The Work Tech Group that owns fastPAYE Hayley Strachan - Director - Global Employer Services at Deloitte Richard Tooth - Tax & Legal consultant at Deloitte LLP Eira Hammond - Executive Director Global Payroll at Hi55 Ventures

The FinTech Scotland Research and Innovation Roadmap highlighted the growing focus on climate considerations for the financial services sector. Whilst this is in part driven by consumers, demanding better transparency for the products they invest in, this is the launch of new regulations that is accelerating the move to a more sustainable financial sector. Financial services providers are facing growing challenges around ESG reporting due to the difficulties around the availability of trustworthy data. This has led to mounting concerns around greenwashing. In a bid to clamp down on greenwashing, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is proposing a package of new measures including investment product sustainability labels and restrictions on how terms like ‘ESG', ‘green' or ‘sustainable' can be used. In this podcast we discuss how to best avoid greenwashing moving forward. Guests: Colin Carmichael – Sustainability Director at PwC Jules Salmond – Founder at Ciendos Matthew Brander - Senior Lecturer in Carbon Accounting at The University of Edinburgh Business School

The fintech sector is growing at pace with more and more entrepreneurs launching their own innovative firm. Whilst starting a new company can be difficult, scaling one to the next stage isn't any easier and comes with its own challenges. What makes a start-up different is its size, allowing it to be more nimble, faster and more agile which in turns allows for faster innovation. As it grows, employs more people, develops new operating models and uses more technologies, the danger is slowing down, increasing costs to deliver and less innovation. In this podcast we learn amount those mistakes and pitfalls scaling fintechs can avoid. What are things to think about and when should you start planning? Guests: James Varga – CEO and Founder at DirectID David Spencer - Head of Analytics Sales, Merkle UK

Fintech innovation is powered by data. New solutions appear every day, always consuming new data to develop new services to help people and organisations deal with money. Innovators are constantly in search for new data sources. The Scottish space sector has developed to be one of the largest in Europe. This industry, thanks to technology advances, can generate an incredible amount of data, from climate data to supply chain data, and much more., The fintech sector in Scotland is developing rapidly alongside an already very well-established financial sector. As new innovative solutions require more and more data, we've turned to the sky to understand how earth observation type data can help leverage the fintech opportunity. Guests: Christophe Christiaen - the Data, Innovation and Impact Lead within the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group Robin Sampson – CEO and founder at Trade In Space

As we transition to a more sustainable future, data, technology and innovation will help to drive and accelerate the insights, products and services to enable the changes needed. Earth Observation Data can enable new innovations that can help to advance financial inclusion, incentivise better climate related behaviours, and support the net zero agenda. Scotland has built significant experience in Space Tech and Space Data. Combined with the strength in FinTech innovation, this offers a substantial opportunity for future FinTech innovation and research. We can accelerate change through greater collaboration across Space and FinTech. This starts with building an understanding of current capabilities, in both space and fintech innovation. FinTech Scotland and Space Scotland are working closely together to bring our ecosystems together to share learnings & explore the challenges in the financial services sector that innovation could address, shaping more sustainable finance, and building confidence in future investments Participants Host: Mickael Paris – Marketing Director at FinTech Scotland Guests: Peter Young - CEO at Global Surface Intelligence & co-founder of the Scottish Space Leadership Council Kirsty McKenna – Innovation programme Manager at FinTech Scotland

Fintech firms around the world are becoming more and more vocal about how difficult they find it to hire new colleagues. Whether it is the skills gap or the increase in salary levels, start-ups and scales-ups are not always best equipped to compete in a global and highly competitive market. At the same time, many fintechs from around the world have and are still choosing Scotland to expand, finding it easier and sometime cheaper to recruit. So, is Scotland still attractive from a job market perspective? In this podcast episode we'll discuss how Scotland is positioned now the job market is really global in a post-pandemic world. We'll also try to understand how Scotland is getting ready to face the growing tech talent demand. Finally, we'll discuss strategies fintech companies can put in place to become attractive and retain talent. Guests: Pardeep Cassells – Head of Securities and Claims Products at Access Fintech Justin Black – Business Director at Hays Technology Scotland Killian McAlesse - Marketing Director at CodeClan Marina Brizar - UK & Europe Director at Talent Beyond Boundaries

Financial Regulation Innovation (RegTech) was highlighted in the FinTech Scotland Research and Innovation roadmap published in March 2022 as an essential area of focus for the financial sector. Understanding and managing regulatory requirements costs financial institutions millions of pounds every year. As regulation evolves all the time to protect consumers, so do new tools and technologies. In recent years new solutions have emerged to help companies reduce cost, better understand requirements, and meet their reporting obligations. Open Banking, AI, Machine Learning and many more technologies have led to increased innovation. In this podcast we will discuss what RegTech means, adoption within the financial sector and why now is the time for financial firms to consider and explore innovation around financial regulation. This podcast will also be an opportunity to promote the upcoming fintech table event during Scotland FinTech festival. Guests: Yvonne Dunn – Partner at Pinsent masons Callum Murray – Founder and CEO at Amiqus

The NFT movement seems to have taken the world by storm. For most people it came out of nowhere and when most people are grappling with the idea of digital currencies, they now have to deal with non-Fungible-tokens. Digital currencies are changing everything and not just the way we deal with money. However, it's not just about coins anymore. Today, in the episode we're speaking about how it's affecting one of the oldest disciplines in the world. Art. And just like appetite for cryptocurrencies is going up and down (down at the minute) so might NFTs. However, one thing is for sure is that they are here to stay. On this episode we welcome on of the top 10 NFT artists in the world according to most NFT specialists, Trevor Jones Trevor is Canadian but has chosen bonny Scotland to establish himself and his art. With him we'll discuss his incredible story and his vision on this new world. This podcast will also be an opportunity to showcase the Stirling Castle Party.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 87% of adults in the UK reported an increase in their cost of living in April 2022. The Office for Budget Responsibility expects household incomes after tax and adjusted for inflation to start falling in Q2 2022 and not recover until Q3 2024.Since Russia invaded Ukraine, economic forecasters have raised their expectations for consumer price inflation, not just in the near term but that it will be higher for longer.On 5 May, the Bank of England forecasted inflation to peak “at slightly over 10% in 2022 Q4, which would be the highest rate since 1982”. In this podcast we ask ourselves what the financial sector can do to help people and businesses. How can collaboration between fintechs, established firms and support organisation can improve outcomes for individuals and companies This podcast will also be an opportunity to announce the launch of the fintech innovation labs at TSB. Participants Sharon MacPherson – CEO at Scotcash Jason Wilkinson Brown - Head of Partnerships & Open Banking at TSB Iain Niblock – Head of Product at ClearScore

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. Participants 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

According to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) cyberthreats are on the rise, with more and more Phishing attempts, Identity Theft, Ransomware. The COVID-19 seems to have been an accelerant with attacks on homes, businesses, governments and critical infrastructure. In this podcast we'll discuss the issue with cybersecurity experts. What are the current threats and those to watch out for in the next few years? What are the new solutions being developed by innovative firms to fight those threats? We'll ask ourselves if fintech firms, that are introducing new technologies and solutions to the financial services sector, are well prepared to face cyberthreats.

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

Fintech is a movement that focusses on customer outcomes, transparency, and democratisation of the financial services sector. Using data and technology, fintech firms are looking at tackling societal and economic issues. Together with our guest we'll discuss the role of fintech in tomorrow's world. With Duncan Cockburn, Founder & CEO at OneBanks, Eishel Quinn, Co-founder & Chief Product Officer at Sustainably and Dominic Chalmers, Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School, Convenor of the MSc Financial Technology

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

On the 22nd of March 2021 Scotland's AI Strategy was published. AI is playing a growing role in the development of fintech solutions. In this special episode that launches during the UK fintech week we hear from two fintech firms that have built their proposition around AI as well as Gillian Docherty, OBE, CEO at The DataLab, member of the Steering Committee that led to the creation of Scotland's AI strategy and Chair of the AI Alliance in Scotland. We're also joined by Simon Pink, AI & Data Leader for financial services at IBM. In this episode we discussed how Scotland will become an AI powerhouse, the evolution of AI and ethics implications and look at two firms using AI in the fintech space to deliver better outcomes for firms and citizens.

In this episode we welcomed: -Chris Turnbull, CEO at Airfunders -Ross Laurie, CEO at Visible Capital -Iain Niblock the newly appointed CEO at Money Dashboard. We spoke about new innovations impacting the world of Wealthtech from Open Banking to AI. The conversation also took us to Open Finance as a natural and needed evolution of Open Banking and what it means for the future of digital financial advice and guidance. Finally we asked ourselves whether people would ever move to full robots advice solutions or if they'd always value the human interaction.

An introduction to the fintech sector in Scotland with: -Nicola Anderson, CEO at FinTech Scotland -Kent MacKenzie, Partner and Global Head of Fintech & Regtech, Advisory Services at Deloitte -Alberto Macciani, CMO at fintech Paysend Together our guests covered what makes Scotland a great place for innovation generally and for fintech more specifically. The recent UK Fintech Sector Review commissioned by the UK Treasure highlights Scotland as the second UK fintech hub in number of firms. We explore the strength of a nation whilst discussing areas of improvement and what's in train for FinTech Scotland in the coming years.

FinTech Scotland's CEO, Nicola Anderson, welcomes you to our new podcast and tell you about all the great things we'll be discussing.