Fintech Chatter: Insights From Fintech Leaders

Welcome to the first of our Masterclass podcast series. Every month we bring together experts from the Tier One People network to discuss a particular aspect of scaling a Fintech.In this episode Dexter Cousins is joined by two special guests from the world of Talent and People to discuss hiring.Emma Jones of Project F and Sophie Theen of Oakam group.  The core to the success of every tech business is hiring a diverse group of talented people. The stats show diversity isn't just the right thing to do for society, but it makes a positive impact on a companies financial performance. But with Fintech lagging behind other sectors when it comes to diversity, how can founders go about bridging the gender gap and building diverse teams?Tune in as Emma, Sophie and Dexter share their insights and tips on how to hire the right people, build high performing teams and keep everyone happy, motivated and fulfilled.About EmmaEmma Jones has amassed a career in all things talent, that spans more than 25 years across global markets.  After building an enterprise channel for tech start-up specialists Mitchellake Emma joined fast growth SaaS company, Ansarada as Global Head of Talent, scaling to more than double its headcount in two years.Emma founded Men Championing Change (Sydney & Melbourne) before embarking on her current venture, Project F.Project F is a for-profit, social impact business helping companies around the world to surface and remove the systemic and structural derailers that cause women to quit tech mid-career. To find out more about Project F and the 50/50 Program mentioned in the show: https://www.projectf.com.au/program-50-50Men Championing Change: https://www.meetup.com/Men-Championing-Change-Meetup/About SophieSophie Theen is a Talent and HR professional with a particular focus on Fintech. Studying a Bachelor of Engineering at Monash and a MBA at Melbourne Business School, Sophie has gained notable experience in Australia and Europe. As first HR person at Revolut, Sophie helped scale the business from 30-500 people. She then joined 11:FS as Global Head of HR and Talent supporting 300% growth.Now at Oakam Group as Chief People and Customer Officer, Sophie brings a unique approach to the role of Talent and HR.Sophie's working is consistently recognised by the industry as a Standout 35 of the Innovate Finance Women in Fintech Powerlist 2018, 2019, 2020 Diversity Advocate and LeaderYou can connect with Sophie - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophietheen/And find out more about Oakam - https://www.oakam.com/about-us/careers/Send us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 81 Dexter Cousins is joined by Stuart Clout, Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder of Ansarada Group.This is Stuart’s 2nd time on the show, he first appeared in episode 4, the last episode pre-covid, when we talked about his business thedocyard.It's been a big 14 months for Stuart. We talk about the audacious merger with Ansarada and how by bringing the companies together, there’s a real opportunity to create another Aussie Fintech unicorn.About AnsaradaFounded by Sam and Rachel Riley in 2005 Ansarada. In late 2020 Ansarada merged with thedocyard and Athena Board to create .May 4th is not only Star Wars day but also marks the launch of Ansarada Deals. A comprehensive solution for transactions, the Deals solution tackles three of the biggest challenges facing every exec team and board, workforce collaboration, data security and compliance.It's an exciting time for the business as the company aims for global domination.Stuart shares his approach to being a founder and some of the lessons he has learned along the way. We talk about the advantages of being open to opportunities and having a flexible approach to growth and scaling.Send us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 80 of the Fintech Chatter Podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Jins Kadwood, Chief Technology Officer of Agridigital.Dexter first met Jins in 2018, he was fortunately/unfortunately sandwiched between the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a photo as Dexter handed Jins the CTO of the year at the Fintech Awards. Check out the full horror here!So it was cool to see Jins join another Fintech Chatter guest, Agridigital as CTO.Backed by Square Peg Capital and founded by Emma Weston and Bob McKay, Agridigital is an Australian Fintech providing farmers with a digital way to manage grain from production to payment anywhere, anytime.Jins chats about how Agridigital is combining technologies across blockchain,  smart contracts, Defi and peer 2 peer lending to revolutionise the farming industry.Jins also shares how his past experience as a professional soccer coach influences his approach to building and leading tech teams.You can find out more about AgridigitalConnect with JinsAnd finally, we promised to plug Jins' latest passion projectStylish CTO - https://www.instagram.com/stylishcto/And also check out https://www.mys-tyler.com/Send us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 79 of Fintech Chatter Dexter Cousins chats to Evan Wong CEO & Co-Founder of Checkbox, a 13x award-winning no code workflow automation platform. Evan has worked with many enterprises including Telstra, Coca Cola and the Singaporean Govt on their digital transformation projects.Leveraging his expertise in developing digital solutions to solve business process problems, Evan and the Checkbox team have built a platform that empowers employees to build software without the need for coding.Through this work, Evan has helped redefine manual processes around risk and compliance with a focus on applying innovation with ruthless practicality. Evan is a serial entrepreneur and was the Founder of the award-winning business Hero Education which he started at the age of 17. In 2019 Evan was listed as Forbes 30 Under 30 (and he still qualifies!)To find out more about Checkbox https://checkbox.ai/You can connect with Evan https://www.linkedin.com/in/theevanwong/JOB OF THE WEEK - https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2483587095Send us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 78 of Fintech Chatter Dexter Cousins is joined by Steve Vallas, CEO of Blockchain Australia.It's a big week for Blockchain Australia as they launch the very first Blockchain Week, a festival bringing together over 100 speakers to talk all things Blockchain.Blockchain Australia aims to encourage the responsible adoption of blockchain technology by industry and governments across Australia as a means to drive innovation in service delivery across all sectors of the economy.Steve shares his candid views of where the industry is at in Australia and what Government and industry needs to do to make Australia a real innovator in the space.For more info go to https://blockchainaustralia.org/To attend Blockchain Week go to https://www.blockchainweek.com.au/Follow Steve on LinkedinSend us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 77 Dexter Cousins chats to Stephen McNulty, Chief Growth Officer of Haventec.Each month Dexter showcases one of Australia's up-and-coming innovators. To kick off the series, we feature Haventec.At the core of the Haventec proposition is a remarkably simple idea, beautifully executed – protecting digital identities from harm, and keeping ‘data that matters’ safe – the key foundations for digital trust. Haventec has developed a suite of technologies that eliminate the need to centrally store sensitive credentials and data, providing the ultimate preparedness for when the enterprise is breached. About Stephen.Stephen has lived in Sydney for the last 15 years, moving here from London. His career has featured roles in Engineering (Ford Motor Company),  Technology (Accenture and Avanade), Products (Apple) and Security with his current company, Haventec. When you meet Stephen he will inevitably talk to you about four things - his family, his mountain bike, his love of music. And privacy…Find out more about Haventec Follow Stephen on LinkedInListen to Haventalk podcastSend us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode 76 Dexter Cousins is joined by Chris Boas, Managing Director APAC of Q2  a software business that creates simple, smart, end-to-end banking and lending experiences.Chris chats about the role Q2 is playing in the Australian Fintech sector, where Q2's software (Cloud Lending) is used to power Fintech like Athena and Prospa.Chris also shares some of the work Q2 is doing around the world, including some 900 banks and credit unions in the US.And Chris shares his insights on the rapidly changing world of banking since the Covid-19 pandemic.Connect with Chris on LinkedInFind out more about Q2About Q2Cloud Lending Solutions empowers the global lending & leasing community to connect with their borrowers in a whole new way by fundamentally transforming the borrower's experience. Built on Salesforce, the world's #1 CRM, Cloud Lending Solutions is the industry's only end-to-end lending and leasing software specifically designed to digitize the entire lending process. Cloud Lending continues to expand globally across five continents and over twenty-three countries.Send us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In Episode 75 Dexter Cousins is joined by Chris Skinner, author, commentator and (in his own words) "troublemaker"Chris Skinner is known as one of the most influential people in technology, and as an independent commentator on fintech through his blog, the Finanser.com. His latest book (sixteenth!) is called Doing Digital, and shares the lessons of doing digital transformation learned through interviews with BBVA, China Merchants Bank, DBS, ING and JPMorgan Chase. He chairs the Financial Services Club and Nordic Future Innovation, is a non-executive director of 11:FS and on the advisory boards of various firms including Mode, Moven and Meniga. Mr. Skinner has been an advisor to the United Nations, the White House, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, and is a visiting lecturer with Cambridge University as well as a TEDx speaker. In recent years, he has been voted one of the UK’s foremost fintech observers by The Telegraph and one of the most influential people in financial technology by the Wall Street Journal’s Financial News and Thomson Reuters. He is also co-founder with renowned artist Basia Hamilton of The Portrait Foundation, http://portraitfoundation.com/, a non-profit platform to encourage children and the arts.Find out more about The Finanser Follow Chris on LinkedinSend us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Dexter is joined by Mark Fordree from Ignition Advice for episode 74 of the Fintech Chatter podcast. Founded in Sydney in 2014 by Mark and Mike Giles, Ignition Advice is a global leader in digital advice technology, with unique capabilities to deliver advice across investment, retirement and insurance.  Ignition offers a full end-to-end platform for enterprise, including onboarding, consumer engagement, compliant advice, sales completion, ongoing account management and client servicing. Ignition entered the European market in 2017, building a skilled team in Dublin. In February 2021, Ignition Advice continues to grow with a move into the UK market establishing new teams in London and Edinburgh. Following a successful Series B fundraising event with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Ignition is well funded to support business development and product research, accelerating their global growth.Find out more about Ignition Advice Follow Mark on LinkedinSend us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

In episode #73 Dexter chats to Domm Holland, the Co-Founder and CEO of Fast, the world’s fastest online login and checkout platform. Founded in Australia and currently headquartered in San Francisco, Fast is a privately held company founded by Domm and Allison Barr Allen and funded by Stripe, Addition, Index Ventures, Susa Ventures and Sugar Capital.Widely known as the ’World’s Fastest CEO,” Domm is an entrepreneur and self-taught engineer who has founded and scaled companies in the logistics, transportation and technology sectors.Fast's mission is to make buying online faster, safer and easier for everyone. Its Fast Login and Fast Checkout products enable a one-click sign-in and purchasing experience that makes it easier for people to buy and merchants to sell. The company's products work on any browser, device or platform for consistent, stress-free purchasing. Fast is entirely consumer-focused and invests heavily in its users'  privacy and data security, with a Zero Fraud Guarantee on chargebacks for sellers. Domm previously founded and served as CEO of Tow, an on-demand vehicle towing platform in Australia that processed more than $50M in transactions. During his tenure there, Domm was awarded the top spot on the Deloitte Tech Fast 50 and recognized as the Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year.‍Domm has worked across Australia and the U.S., working in national and multinational telecommunications and technology companies, including Dell, with deep cross-function experience. His background provides him with a unique perspective that spans R&D, sales and operations, all of which have contributed to his vision for Fast.Find out more about Fast Follow Domm on LinkedinSend us a textContact dexter@tieronepeople.com to discussSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp