The FinTech landscape in the North East was discussed in detail at a packed FinTech North Newcastle Conference, held on 25th September 2019 and sponsored by MERJE.
With speakers from local and national FinTech organisations, the agenda included presentations, panels and showcases that highlighted the wealth of opportunities in the North East, as well as the need to collaborate with other FinTech hubs.
Chris Sier, FinTech Envoy, HM Treasury, & Chairman, FinTech North
These points were echoed and explored across many of the discussions, including talks from Chris Sier, FinTech Envoy for HM Treasury and FinTech North Chairman, and Clare Black, Director of Corporate Affairs & Communications at Innovate Finance, who also discussed how the UK is currently number one in the world in terms of FinTech investment deals.
Clare Black, Director of Corporate Affairs & Communications, Innovate Finance
Equiniti Credit Services’ Richard Carter explored how current lending trends, the increase in consumers’ interest in FinTech services and the younger generation’s increased willingness to share personal data will impact on the future of lending and the service provided.
The topic of Open Finance was covered by Kevin Telford from ThoughtWorks, who believes that data and innovation can be used to help people dealing with financial difficulties. Similarly, TSB’s Jason Wilkinson-Brown discussed how Open Banking should be used to help customers make ‘promises to pay’ that are appropriate to their situation.
Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, presented on how to build a FinTech business, and how the key to being truly disruptive is aiming to disrupt the heart of the industry – “and the heart of the Banking industry is formidable.”
Mark Mullen, CEO, Atom Bank
The event also featured two panels on how to establish and fund a FinTech brand in the North East, and a series of showcases compèred by Plan Digital UK’s Paul Lancaster, which highlighted the latest Financial Services innovations, products, start-ups and services.
The conference was a fantastic opportunity to meet the talent in the region, as well as get an understanding of the latest market trends and the challenges faced by the FinTech sector.
Andrew Varty, Managing Consultant for Finance & Audit at MERJE said, “MERJE is proud to have partnered with FinTech North and to support the growth of FinTech businesses, not only in the North East but across the North of England. One key challenge highlighted at the conference was talent acquisition. Organisations such as Sage and Atom Bank demonstrated that this can be overcome through nurturing graduates with focussed training, whilst MERJE can support with attracting experienced professionals due to our specialist approach within Financial Services and Technology.”
MERJE is a specialist recruitment consultancy operating across Compliance, Credit Risk & Analytics, Customer Contact, Finance & Audit, Financial Crime & Fraud, Procurement and Risk Management, with a focus within Financial Services. We work closely with organisations not only to source experienced individuals but also advising on recruitment strategy, providing insight into how important it is to ensure the right team is in place from the start.
