Adding to our line up of leading women in fintech, we speak to Emma Margetts, Head of European Operations at Visible Alpha, about how she made it in the financial services space, having started out at just 16 years old.

How did you start your career?

While growing up in South Africa, I always had a passion for capital markets and entrepreneurship. I started investing in the stock markets at 16 years old and later started the non-profit Business Learning Network, the first women’s accelerator for female entrepreneurs in the townships of South Africa. Straight after university, I moved to London and worked in asset management for five years. This is where I met my co-founders for Alpha Exchange and the idea for our company was born.

What sparked your interest in fintech?

I’ve always loved the financial markets coupled with knowing definitively that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. The problem was: I didn’t know where to start.

Many people starting out in fintech ask me if it’s possible to run a tech company without being technical. Well, if you don’t count being able to turn an iPhone on or off as technical, then “yes.”

The truth is, I surrounded myself with a best-in-class co-founding team with complementary skill sets, which proved to be the optimal way forward. I had the vision and drive to make up for the shortfalls in my technical skills. But even so, it was an extreme learning trajectory for the first 18 months.

What was your lightbulb moment?

Two and a half years ago, the initial idea behind Alpha Exchange came to me and my co-founders, Alex Santos and Scott Winship, while we were working in asset management in London. During this time, the average investment analyst we worked with would receive upwards of 1,000 emails daily containing investment research – only 5-10% of which was ever opened. We saw research distribution as an inefficient, legacy-driven process that had seen little to no innovation. Research pricing was also a problem in that it lacked transparency, as it was typically “bundled” in with a broader set of client services.

We knew there had to be a more intelligent and efficient way to quickly surface relevant insights, cut through the noise, and create an investment edge. So we set out to do just that. Despite daunting competition from the likes of Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters, we built Alpha Exchange, a platform that aimed to transform the way institutional participants interacted, shared knowledge, and discovered investment insights.

At the same time, the world of investment research was rapidly evolving before our eyes. Asset managers were battling some of the most widespread regulatory challenges of our time brought about by a revamped version of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, MiFID II.

We then had the opportunity to join forces with Visible Alpha, which acquired Alpha Exchange in November 2017. By joining our two platforms, we have created a robust end-to-end MiFID II solution. This has opened up many more possibilities, and I’m proud to be leading Visible Alpha’s European operations.

What inspires you?

I surround myself with people who approach life with passion and enthusiasm. I get so much out of this – I think that kind of energy is contagious and necessary in life.

I’m inspired by remarkable people who are courageous and brave. My mum is one of these people. She is a strong woman who has faced entrepreneurship battles whilst raising a family and being a constant source of excitement in my life!

Why is the #WomenInTech movement important?

When I started Alpha Exchange, every pitch, every boardroom, every investor, mentor or advisor was male. Also, being in my mid-twenties, the amount of times I get a look of surprise and have to repeat who I am and what my role is always makes me laugh.

I made an active choice many years ago not to focus on being just one of a few women in a field or an industry, but instead to concentrate on always improving my skills, going for every opportunity presented to me, and being an expert in my industry of choice.

I feel empowered knowing I’ve not let stereotypes hold me back. My best advice for women is to spend your life doing something you love, regardless of how male-dominated the field may be.

I have been lucky to have incredible female fintech mentors as part of my work life (big shout out to the incredible Jenny Fielding, MD at Techstars).

What piece of advice would you give women starting their careers in fintech?

Go for it! There is never a perfect time to take the leap and start something new. There is always a reason to wait another day. I guess the critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something about it. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but very rarely do people action on them.

I ripped off the band-aid and resigned from a stable job in order to start something that I had barely figured out myself. It probably took me more by surprise than it did anyone else. I was terrified, but I quickly discovered that as a fintech founder you only ever experience two emotions: euphoria and terror.

It’s important to surround yourself with people who believe in you and your abilities. There are countless examples of women who triumphantly navigate through male-dominated landscapes, and there’s no reason why you can’t be one of them.

This article was first published on FinTech Futures on July 11th 2017.

Aleksandra Gren chats to us about her focus on making a success story out of fintech around the world. Today, she is Strategic Sales, Country Manager at Fiserv and Fortune Most Powerful Women US Mentoring Program Alumna. How does she think the fintech space will adapt as a more gender-equal environment, and how should we promote women in tech?

How did you start your career?

I started my career in banking at 23 after I graduated from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, with a degree in international relations. As I quickly realized that technology has a huge role in how things are run in the world of banking, I joined a fast growing U.S. technology company expanding its outreach in Europe and the Middle East. There, I saw first hand the continuing fusion of banking and technology in a number of economies around the world.

What sparked your interest in fintech?

From my experience of working in various countries, I saw how similar the challenges in banking were when it came to technology. In the mid-90s, technology and business departments within a typical bank didn’t talk to each other. As consumer-originated technologies started affecting the enterprise sector, business and technology began to realize how they need each other to be successful. Today most financial services’ CEOs acknowledge that running a bank is like running a big technology company which happens to be in banking. 

What was your lightbulb moment?

I don’t think there was necessarily a “lightbulb moment”. Different regions around the world embraced change differently. For example, some banks in Asia and Central Europe benefitted from the leap frogging effect and went from very little computerization in early 90s, straight to full digitization today. They skipped cheques, implemented instant payments, and designed new business models by leveraging the newest technologies from the start. The technology journey for banks in the developed economies of Western Europe and North America has been more evolutionary.

What inspires you?

People are my biggest inspiration. I believe strongly in the power of the individual. We as individuals are not powerless; people on their own can do great things and make positive changes in the world, even if it is through small steps. I was always inspired by personal stories of great leaders and very early on developed a belief that every person matters and can contribute. I always believed that it is important to motivate people to tap into their inner potential. In my opinion, the key measure of leadership is how effectively the leader is able to build talent around them. Do they listen to the people closest to the battle field, who test management’s strategies first hand? For me the biggest source of insights are always conversations with the front-line people in any business.

Why is the #WomenInTech movement important?

With the onset of artificial intelligence, bots and virtual reality, we are witnessing a shortage of data science skills. Various sources refer to vacancies counted into millions in the data science fields around the world by 2020. It is important that STEM skills are taught from a very young age and that STEM becomes a key priority for domestic digital agendas. For me, the #WomenInTech movement is very important as women represent 50% of society. They have extra responsibilities assigned to their roles, which should mean more investment, more recognition, and more support at a state and corporate level. The #WomenInTech awareness and programs also have the power to capture the mindset of young girls before college years. Women need to be taught the STEM skills needed at primary school, as it will help them to perform in future digital industries and succeed in the workplace. There are certainly some excellent schemes out there at the moment, but we still have a little way to go to capture girl’s imaginations at a very young age.

What piece of advice would you give women starting their careers in fintech?

Always keep learning: from people around you, the industry and changes in technology. Stay curious and open minded. It is important for women to step outside of their comfort zone and keep pushing for more.  Take a computer course, learn to code, do something you wouldn’t normally do. I would also say that women need to believe in themselves and know that their voice matters and that can drive innovation and change in the industry.

This article was first published on FinTech Futures on June 27th 2017.

Part of our #WomenInFinTech series, we chat to Christina McGeorge – chief product officer and VP of product ownership for D3 Banking – about how she only became aware of her success within fintech a few years ago. She shares some words of inspiration and motivation to the next round of successful women in tech.

How did you start your career?

I began my career nearly thirty years ago as a software engineer at ACI Worldwide. I was still in college, working on my degree in management information systems at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. After two years, I switched my focus to solutions architecture because I wanted to broaden my skillset. I went on to work for ACI for 20 years, eventually becoming the lead design engineer for ACI’s point of sale product.

What sparked your interest in fintech?

Computer sciences had always been an interest of mine, so it was a natural fit to study in college. However, my curiosity and passion quickly grew beyond just computer sciences, and I found myself pursuing some exciting opportunities in the fintech space. I’ve been hooked ever since.

What was your lightbulb moment?

I’ve always enjoyed my work, but my lightbulb moment didn’t come along until a few years ago. While I was designing front-end authorization systems at ACI and back-office solutions for BHMI, I was assembling pieces of a puzzle, gaining more knowledge of particular niches within the fintech space. It wasn’t until I joined D3 Banking and gained a new perspective that the broader picture came into focus. Suddenly, the trajectory of my career made sense. Without my previous experiences and the perspectives gained from them, I would not have been positioned to contribute to D3 Banking as I have, helping to design our platform. The pieces of the puzzle just fell into place; I had been on this path all along.

What inspires you?

I’ve always been inspired by the notion of providing people with the opportunity to better themselves financially. This is why when I had the chance to join a start-up digital banking company more than five years ago, there was no hesitation. I was employee number 15 at D3 Banking, which allowed me to help build our platform from the ground up in a way that helps both banks to reduce complexities in their systems, and end users to better understand their financial situations and enhance communication with their banks.

Why is the #WomenInTech movement important?

Culturally, we struggle with the idea that it’s normal or even acceptable for girls to be good at math or sciences. In fact, I remember being one of few girls in my computer science classes. The #WomenInTech movement spreads the message that anyone in the world, even a young girl in grade school, can be good at science at math, and that the world is open to you. This is so important for future growth and progress.

What piece of advice would you give women starting their careers in fintech?

When I was younger, my grandfather used to quiz me on my math. I remember one day he told me, “it’s not whether you can; it’s whether you want to.” That’s something that really resonated with me, and is something I think is important for not only women, but all people to know. You are capable, if you’re willing to put in the effort necessary to achieve your goals.

This article was first published on FinTech Futures on May 31st 2017.

Adding to our hugely popular Women in Fintech series, we speak to Lynn Bishop, Chief Development Officer, Managing Director, DTCC, about the best way to make it as a woman in tech, learning from her exceptional path to the top.

How did you start your career?

I started my career at Accenture as a consultant. At that time I had not yet decided on my career path, and working as a consultant allowed me to learn about different industries, experience multiple corporate cultures, travel internationally, and learn a lot about myself. The speed at which you learn in the consulting industry was very appealing to me, and working across many different projects and clients helped me to quickly build an expansive, diverse, and powerful network.

While I benefited tremendously from my consulting experience, after about 10 years I decided I wanted to build more specialized knowledge and so joined DTCC, my consulting client at the time. Since joining DTCC, I have held several different technology-focused roles, with the most recent one being Chief Development Officer (previously CTO) to which I was appointed in May 2016.

What sparked your interest in fintech?

I realized I wanted to specialize in financial services relatively early while still working as a consultant, and the opportunity to join DTCC in an IT-focused role allowed me to make real impact by developing and implementing solutions for the entire industry.

While there has always been constant change and innovation in technology which has challenged and motivated me, there has never been a more exciting time to be at a firm like DTCC than right now. We are at the forefront of so many exciting new innovations that have the potential to transform the post-trade environment and strengthen our ability to protect the stability and integrity of the global markets. We are also actively leveraging the cloud and exploring how we can use robotics and other new technologies such as distributed ledger to better serve our clients and the industry.

What was your lightbulb moment?

Many great articles have been written about fintech, but the ones that really resonate with me emphasize the importance of disruption. To quote Paul English from Prophet, “Disruption that actually makes a substantial change to customers’ lives, by making things easier, faster and more meaningful. It’s not about the tech or the widget, the app or the interface, but about how it addresses a real and important customer need in a new and improved way.”

While new technologies are certainly intriguing, what is truly important is making sure they address a real need and ultimately introduce a new and improved way of working within the industry while protecting market stability. At DTCC, we are collaborating with our industry colleagues and clients on ways we can use new technologies to solve operational challenges and reduce costs and risks.

What inspires you?

I have been very fortunate throughout my career to have an amazing support system including my family, friends, colleagues, and mentors. I could not have achieved what I have today without their support and encouragement. As a result, I find the most rewarding aspect of my job is to “pay it forward,” which means empowering others to reach their potential, both personally and professionally.

I thoroughly enjoy mentoring my junior colleagues at DTCC and also externally through the Posse Foundation. In addition, I am honored to be a part of United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) Executive Committee, a network of community-driven women dedicated to making a difference in the lives of New Yorkers, with a focus on supporting ReadNYC, an initiative that strives to help low-income students improve their reading skills.

Why is the #WomenInTech movement important?

It is no secret that a significant gender gap remains within the technology industry, and especially in fintech. Many large technology companies have started to provide more transparency around their diversity statistics which I see as a positive development because acknowledging a problem and recognizing the need for change is an important step forward.

Women bring unique talents and perspectives to the table, particularly the importance of collaboration which is a key success factor in fintech.

Speaking on diversity in general, it is important to recognize that change doesn’t happen overnight. However there are actions we can and should be taking now. Ensuring female speakers are featured at fintech events, showcasing successes of female fintech leaders to help position women as role models, and creating a culture which promotes and rewards inclusive behaviors are a few examples of easy steps that would lead to systemic improvement. In the long term, it is critical to keep promoting and supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to improve the pipeline and invest in the future.

What piece of advice would you give women starting their careers in fintech?

Throughout the year we will be profiling women in fintech, not simply to celebrate their success but also to hear what has worked for them during the course of their careers. Click here to read more inspirational stories from fintech’s leading women >>

Adding to our stellar line up of leading women in fintech, we speak to Alex Foster about how she has become Head of Insurance & Finance Sector & Post Trade Services at BT, and what she would suggest if you were just starting out as a woman in tech.

How did you start your career?

I always had a fascination by what makes the cogs turn in the financial markets world. I started my career on the trading floor — initially working in sales trading which was at that time more voice-based.  Over time, the markets started to morph and automation and algorithms evolved.  With this “electronification” of the markets came the need for more than just traditional trading skills.  The role started to require greater market understanding, as well as market structure and technology knowledge.

To have a true understanding of how things work, I developed an appreciation of the effect of technology, such as the impact of proximity and algorithms.

My current role is at BT, a move I made to get a better view as to what was “under the bonnet” of the infrastructure underpinning the global financial markets. I’ve found this has made my skill set more rounded. I’ve been able to provide first-hand knowledge of customer requirements. This helps us to develop technology solutions that anticipate the needs, and support the aspirations of, the full spectrum of BT’s financial services customers.

What sparked your interest in fintech?

I have always enjoyed the tech side of financial markets and have always strived to act as an agent of positive change. Fintech has so much potential to deliver new ways of working. The possibilities that can evolve from a perfect synergy of new technology, collaboration, and regulation are incredibly exciting.

Consider the process: new regulation comes in, start-ups develop the necessary technology to manage it, and collaboration between firms sees the process through. Fintech is an integral tool for moving financial markets forward.

What was your lightbulb moment?

My light bulb moment came about four to five years ago, when I began working with bankers, some who were friends, leaving their traditional roles on the trading floor to create new and exciting fintech, regtech, and insurtech companies. As we know, these start-ups are a growing source of innovation in the financial markets industry. But their small size can create challenges around market adoption, delivery, and meeting the stringent contractual or compliance expectations of large financial institutions. We started to work with these companies to help them scale-up to obtain a global reach. I realized the monumental impact that these technologies and fintech firms could achieve when the right partnerships are in place.

What inspires you?

I find the drive and nerve that start-ups have when they decide to give their idea a go very inspiring. That willingness to try something different is so exciting because you see human ingenuity, courage and hard work at its finest.

At BT, I see so much innovation first hand. I also get involved with this as a non-executive director or simply as a noisy advisor. From these positions, I get to see the talent that it takes to take an idea and make it grow. The absolute focus you need to achieve this is exemplary.

Why is the #WomenInTech movement important?

The digital age is here and with it we can already see that new technology will pervade every part of our global economy. STEM is a big part of this growing field and one where more top talent is needed, but where female representation is still too low.  It’s so important that we see more girls taking STEM subjects in their school years. And it’s equally important that we attract, retain, develop, and progress female talent in these careers.

At a personal level, I have always loved tech – my school was one of the first that offered a Computer Studies O Level and it has been a huge part of my professional life. And I studied mathematics, statistics, and computing at university. That’s why the movement is so important; it encourages women to take up the opportunities which have made such a difference to me.

I’m encouraged to see that this is actively promoted at BT through initiatives like Step into Stem and BT TechWomen which aim to increase the presence of women in technology. Again, partnerships are essential – we are working with a number of our clients, start-up hubs, schools and business partners realise our ambitions together.

What piece of advice would you give women starting their careers in FinTech?

Make sure you have great mentors, both within your firm and externally. Never be afraid to ask questions, this will help you to continue to learn and flourish. Don’t wait to become a leader – start this at whatever stage of your career you are in. And finally, always aspire to be the leader that you yourself would want to follow.

This article was first published on FinTech Futures on May 3rd 2017.

Music producer, broker, coder, and a leading influencer within fintech, Natasha Kyprianides is not short of experiences and skills. Group Head of Digital Banking & Innovation at Hellenic Bank, she gives us a window into her fascinating path into fintech and some expert advice for other women in fintech paving their ways.

How did you start your career?

My first interactions with digital technology were through hard-disk recording for audio and music production in the late ’90s. I even built a professional recording-studio facility that I had briefly turned into a commercial one, but it was short-lived because I didn’t feel at the time that this was what I was looking for in a career.

I stumbled into banking 17 years ago, by accident. It was at a time when the stock market was booming in Cyprus, and I joined the banking sector as a broker. I then gradually started to unravel my resourcefulness in seeing things from a creative angle, and combined it with my passion for technology. I spent the early years of my career being more hands-on, by coding and building web interfaces of all sorts, as well as project managing in the digital space.

What sparked your interest in fintech?

In 2008, I was given the opportunity to set up the Electronic Banking department (a “dated” term as these days it’s been renamed to Digital Banking) from scratch, and acted as country product owner for the Cyprus subsidiary of the biggest bank in Greece (Piraeus Bank Group). That’s how I entered the world of innovation in banking!

I was able to blend three components that I’m mostly passionate about: Creativity, Technology and Entrepreneurship. This is also how my obsession began – about putting the customer experience first. I then went on to build an impressive portfolio of cutting-edge digital banking products.

The term “FinTech”, or financial technology, was not on the rise at the time.  It only started to gain real traction in 2015.  That was the year when I joined Hellenic Bank with a mandate towards the digital transformation roadmap.  The capacity of my current role enables me to fully harness the power of fintech to deliver fundamental innovations that disrupt and challenge the business model of a traditional financial institution.

What was your lightbulb moment?

My light bulb moment came in 2014. A year after the financial crisis had hit Cyprus and business was no longer as usual. I was starting to become rather restless, lacking motivation and enthusiasm. I had embarked on a journey to look for a new role and relocate (if necessary), somewhere where I could realize my vision of building impactful digital products to shape the future of payments, and thereby bring about social change.

What inspires you?

It’s probably a crazy answer, but I am inspired by constraints.  When there is less of a cushion between oneself and failure, innovation becomes a necessity.  I have come to discover that constraints can improve my agility and get my synapses firing at lightning speed.  Our perceived limitations may give us direction on where we might play, or want to play.

Why is the #WomenInTech movement important?

It’s tough to prove gender bias is real but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.  In fact, I have personally experienced it throughout my career but choose to brush it off.  I think of myself as a “person” and not a “woman” in tech or fintech.  I have observed reactions to my male peers at the workplace (who are not necessarily more capable) as being more authoritative and better-respected figures. That type of perception also affects differences in compensation and grade.

Overall, a diverse workplace is confirmed to get better results, more accurately reflects the customer/client base, and ensures a wider range of experiences.  Having said that, the best person should be hired for the job and not just to satisfy a statistic.

What piece of advice would you give women starting their careers in FinTech?

If you are passionate about leaving your mark and making an impact, a career in fintech will provide opportunities so that you can get in on the action.  These avenues have the potential to change your life and maybe even the world.  This alone, can motivate and inspire the right type of person (whether a woman or man) to choose this industry.

Throughout the year we will be profiling women in fintech, not simply to celebrate their success but also to hear what has worked for them during the course of their careers. Click here to read more inspirational stories from fintech’s leading women >>

This article was first published on FinTech Futures on May 18th 2017.

Adding to our stellar line up of leading women in FinTech, we speak to Alex Foster about how she has become Head of Insurance & Finance Sector & Post Trade Services at BT, and what she would suggest if you were just starting out as a woman in tech.

How did you start your career?

I always had a fascination by what makes the cogs turn in the financial markets world. I started my career on the trading floor — initially working in sales trading which was at that time more voice based.  Over time, the markets started to morph and automation and algorithms evolved.  With this ‘electronification’ of the markets came the need for more than just traditional trading skills.  The role started to require greater market understanding, as well as market structure and technology knowledge.

To have a true understanding of how things work, I developed an appreciation of the effect of technology, such as the impact of proximity and algorithms.

My current role is at BT, a move I made to get a better view as to what was ‘under the bonnet’ of the infrastructure underpinning the global financial markets. I’ve found this has made my skill set more rounded. I’ve been able to provide first-hand knowledge of customer requirements. This helps us to develop technology solutions that anticipate the needs, and support the aspirations of, the full spectrum of BT’s financial services customers.

What sparked your interest in FinTech?

I have always enjoyed the tech side of financial markets and have always strived to act as an agent of positive change. FinTech has so much potential to deliver new ways of working. The possibilities that can evolve from a perfect synergy of new technology, collaboration and regulation are incredibly exciting.

Consider the process – new regulation comes in, start-ups develop the necessary technology to manage it, and collaboration between firms sees the process through. Fintech is an integral tool for moving financial markets forward.

What was your light bulb moment?

My light bulb moment came about four to five years ago, when I began working with bankers, some who were friends, leaving their traditional roles on the trading floor to create new and exciting FinTech, RegTech, and InsurTech companies. As we know, these start-ups are a growing source of innovation in the financial markets industry.  But their small size can create challenges around market adoption, delivery and meeting the stringent contractual or compliance expectations of large financial institutions. We started to work with these companies to help them scale-up to obtain a global reach. I realised the monumental impact that these technologies and FinTech firms could achieve when the right partnerships are in place.

What inspires you?

I find the drive and nerve that start-ups have when they decide to give their idea a go very inspiring. That willingness to try something different is so exciting because you see human ingenuity, courage and hard work at its finest.

At BT, I see so much innovation first hand. I also get involved with this as a non-executive director or simply as a noisy advisor. From these positions, I get to see the talent that it takes to take an idea and make it grow. The absolute focus you need to achieve this is exemplary.

Why is the #WomenInFinTech movement important?

The digital age is here and with it we can already see that new technology will pervade every part of our global economy. STEM is a big part of this growing field and one where more top talent is needed, but where female representation is still too low.  It’s so important that we see more girls taking STEM subjects in their school years. And it’s equally important that we attract, retain, develop and progress female talent in these careers.

At a personal level, I have always loved tech – my school was one of the first that offered a Computer Studies O Level and it has been a huge part of my professional life. And I studied mathematics, statistics & computing at university. That’s why the movement is so important; it encourages women to take up the opportunities which have made such a difference to me.

I’m encouraged to see that this is actively promoted at BT through initiatives like ‘Step into Stem’ and ’BT TechWomen’ which aim to increase the presence of women in technology. Again, partnerships are essential – we are working with a number of our clients, start-up hubs, schools and business partners realise our ambitions together.

What piece of advice would you give women starting their careers in fintech?

Make sure you have great mentors, both within your firm and externally. Never be afraid to ask questions, this will help you to continue to learn and flourish. Don’t wait to become a leader – start this at whatever stage of your career you are in. And finally, always aspire to be the leader that you yourself would want to follow.

We hope you enjoy our Women in Tech Series, where we celebrate the accomplishments of women in the technology industry, and learn more about what it takes to succeed. For more insightful stories from fintech’s leading women, check out our previous Women in Tech interviews.

Do you know a woman in fintech whose achievements we should know more about? Contact us at [email protected].