FinTech Wales announces Board and Advisory Panel changes at AGM to propel the organisation to new heights

• The organisation appointed three new Board members and nine new panel members at its 2023 AGM

FinTech Wales, the not for profit independent membership organisation for the FinTech and Financial Services industries in Wales, has elected Rhys Thomas, Chief Operating Officer at Cardiff Capital Region, Rachel Hillier, Partner at Capital Law, and Lucy Cohen, Co-Founder of Mazuma, as its new Board members. They will join existing members Ben Joakim, former Head of Strategy at Principality Building Society, Scott Jones, CEO of UX agency Illustrate Digital, Sarah Williams-Gardener, CEO of FinTech Wales and Louise O’Shea, Chair of InsurTech UK and former CEO of Confused.com. 

It was also announced that, from January 2024, existing Chair Louise O’Shea will be stepping down from her role after five years at FinTech Wales. The announcements were made at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which took place on October 17th at the ICC, Newport, during Wales Tech Week.

In addition to the changes made at Board level, nine new Panel Members have been voted on to the FinTech Wales’ Advisory Panel.  With immediate effect, FinTech Wales will welcome David Landen, CEO at Hodge; Gareth Lewis, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Delio; Gemma Hallett, Head of Skills at CFIT and Founder of miFuture; Jessica Leigh Jones MBE, CEO at Iungo Solutions; Lynsey Walden, Director at Front Door Communications; Scott Cargill, CEO at Admiral Money; Sophie Mason, founding CEO of Thinkedi; Tim Barnett CEO of Credas; and Tony Smith, Chief Governance Officer at Principality.

FinTech Wales’ new panel members. Back row from Left to Right: Lynsey Walden, Damon Chapple, Matt Hyde, Ben Joakim, Sarah Williams-Gardener, Louise O’Shea, Ella Hastings and Lee Griffin. Front row from Left to Right: Sophie Mason, Tony Smith, Scott Jones, Rachel Hillier, Lucy Cohen, Tim Barnett and Scott Cargill.

The new panel and board members represent a variety of industry leaders including founders and board members of FinTech companies, as well as those who work to enable and support the FinTech and Financial Services sector in Wales, and as a result bring with them diverse expertise, innovation, and strategic insight to the company, which will help shape the continued success of the organisation and growth of the FinTech and Financial Services industries in Wales.

Speaking at the AGM, FinTech Wales CEO Sarah Williams-Gardner shared her enthusiasm for the new appointments made: “We are delighted that FinTech Wales has grown so substantially in the last year, and this AGM is the perfect time to reflect on all of the fantastic progress made and look ahead to another year with brilliant, forward-thinking people at the helm. 

“As part of our four-year strategy for FinTech in Wales, we have focused on four key pillars, including skills and talent, ecosystem and community, funding and investment and the promotion of Wales as a place for FinTech and Financial organisations to thrive. 

“So far, our Coding and Data Academies have made a remarkable impact, with an outstanding 81% success rate of placing candidates in the first year. In addition, our award-winning accelerator programme, the FinTech Wales Foundry, has helped 23 FinTech startups collectively raise over £20 million in investments and created 150 job opportunities in Wales. 

“It is of the utmost importance for us to be louder and prouder about our FinTech successes in Wales. As well as continuing to grow and advance further, we need to be braver and bolder in taking the next steps and showcasing the innovation and talent that Wales has to offer. This is an exciting time for FinTech Wales, and we are eagerly looking forward to collaborating with our new Board and Panel members in the upcoming year.”

Launched in April 2019 by Richard Theo, the UK Government’s FinTech Envoy for Wales, FinTech Wales operates as a trade association with member organisations comprising of FinTech and financial services companies that are headquartered or operating in Wales. The idea behind FinTech Wales is to help businesses both in Wales and beyond to start-up and scale up in a supportive and collaborative atmosphere. Ultimately, the goal is to make Wales a world leader in the global FinTech community.

It brings together entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes, as well as technology suppliers, innovators, universities and public sector bodies. More information about FinTech Wales and its work can be found at www.fintechwales.org.