The UK’s FinTech sector is second only to the US in terms of influence, according to research from Innovate Finance. And not for the first time, Edinburgh has been named as one of the UK’s leading tech cities (UK’s Digital Economy Council, December 2021) and is home to no less than 81 FinTech businesses, according to Tracxn. Getting ahead of the curve in this fast-growing sector is no mean feat but help is at hand, follow our list of Top Ten FinTech Influencers to keep track of the latest trends, and breaking news.
Chris is an independent FinTech adviser and entertaining writer who provides fresh insight and commentary on the FinTech sector. It’s no surprise then, that he has amassed 81k followers on Twitter and 17k on LinkedIn. Formerly CEO of challenger bank Secco, he also ran innovation labs as lead mobile architect at Lloyds.
With an impressive 16 books to his name, Chris Skinner is no slouch when it comes to sharing his knowledge and expertise. He’s clocked up nearly 55k followers on Twitter and nearly 36k followers on LinkedIn. Skinner describes himself as doing “all sorts in banking and technology” and he writes regularly about the FinTech sector.
The queen of LinkedIn, with nearly 250,000 followers and 27k followers on Twitter, Duena is a blogger and keynote speaker with a self-proclaimed “unconventional and unapologetic opinion style”. The combination of psychology and business is very much her shtick in the world of FinTech. Books include “People Before Tech: The Importance of Psychological Safety and Teamwork in the Digital Age”.
CEO of Starling Bank, a UK mobile-only bank, Anne has nearly 68k followers on LinkedIn and over 30k followers on Twitter and we are glad to see that this Welsh tech entrepreneur flying the flag for Wales. With a reputation for knocking down barriers caused by outdated technology, she was no doubt surprised when 50 FinTechs wrote to MPs complaining that she was anti-innovation.
Last, but not least on our Twitter list is Eileen Burbidge with 77k followers. A partner at Passion Capital, an early-stage technology venture fund based in London, Eileen is a non-exec director on several high-profile start-ups such as Monzo Bank, Digital Shadows, Tide and Butternut Box. As a result, Eileen is wired into the rising stars of the start-up world.
CEO, Janine Hirt, and the team at Innovate Finance are going great guns in ‘advancing the global FinTech community in the UK’. The independent industry body hosts a range of programmes, including the Innovate Finance Global Summit at London Guildhall which has welcomed speakers including PM Rishi Sunak. It’s worth subscribing to their newsletter which is quick off the mark with latest stories in FinTech.
When he’s not running 10Ks around Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat, the Chair of FinTech Scotland, Stephen Ingledew, is spreading the word about latest developments north of the border. As well as updating his 11,000 followers on LinkedIn on a regular basis, he’s very good at keeping the UK and Scottish Governments updated on what’s happening in the FinTech sector.
Ray Bugg brings a welcome 1960s Michael Caine-style glamour to FinTech. A drole manner belies just how much he’s achieved. Ray started DIGIT in 2013 as a forum for the tech sector in Scotland and this has grown to include regular large-scale conferences in FinTech, Big Data, CyberSecurity, and Cloud Computing. Keep up to date by subscribing to his influential digital news site/newsletter, DIGIT magazine.
Business Editor at The Scotsman.com, Scott Reid regularly reports on the FinTech sector and start-ups in general. Self-described as a ‘petrolhead and Genesis fan, though chiefly pre-1975’ he is one of the main media voices on FinTech sector here in Scotland.
Groups Business Correspondent at The Herald, Mark Williamson loves writing about entrepreneurship in Scotland, which means that FinTech features regularly. In a former life, he worked in London as a Chartered Accountant which must be a considerable advantage when it comes to reporting on FinTechs.
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