Searching for Mana with Lloyd Wahed

As 2020 draws to a close, we look back on some of the brightest moments from Searching for Mana over the past year.And what a line-up it is! Listen through for amazing conversations with FinTech luminaries such as Conrad Ford (Funding Options, Allica Bank), Joe Parkin (BlackRock), Ned Phillips (Bambu), Adam French (Scalable Capital) and Romi Savova (PensionBee). Plus, Lloyd discusses each guest and the unique insights they brought to the show.Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchukFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/ Episode Highlights:01:21: Conrad Ford, Founder of Funding Options06:15: Joe Parkin, MD at BlackRock11:53: Ned Phillips, Founder and CEO of Bambu19:25: Adam French, Founder and CEO of Scalable Capital

Billon Co-Founder and CTO Andrzej Horoszczak joins Lloyd from Poland to discuss how DLT could lead to the advent of fully digital currencies.It’s an episode that touches on finance, technology and entrepreneurship, all of which are Andrzej’s specialties. After studying computer science and business in the US, Andrzej gained extensive experience as a portfolio manager, IT specialist and CEO. Each of those qualifications comes in handy with Billon, which uses DLT to streamline everything from back office solutions to digital currencies.To kick things off, Lloyd and Andrzej dive into the obstacles facing central bank digital currencies, whether there’s room for competition in the blockchain space and how Billon could allow banks to exchange coins more efficiently. Plus, they discuss Poland’s promising programming scene and discuss how blockchain and digital currencies will evolve over the next five years.Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchukFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/ Episode Highlights:01:45: Does crypto represent a Bolshevik-style revolution in finance?07:02: Which obstacles stand in the way of central bank digital currencies?12:04: Is blockchain a zero-sum game?17:20: How Andrzej came to study in the US, and how the promise of blockchain changed his life22:53: Why honesty is crucial for founding teams27:25: How Billon is fundraising for its future31:54: What reading history has taught Andrzej about failure35:57: How will blockchain evolve over the next five years?

Aryze CFO and Co-Founder Morten Christorp Nielsen joins Lloyd to discuss how digital assets have the potential to revolutionise financial inclusion.After starting his career with such vaunted names as JP Morgan and UBS, Morten turned his attention to socially responsible finance. That’s how he got involved with Aryze, which aims to leverage blockchain and DLT to take the cost out of moving money around the world.To kick off their conversation, Morten and Lloyd go through Aryze’s journey from its founding to its present day. They touch on the difficulties of transferring money internationally, why Aryze has adopted an ethos of corporate responsibility, and how tokenisation can reduce costs for end users. Plus, Morten shares how he became JP Morgan’s third most successful salesman worldwide and lets us in on how DLT will allow smaller financial organisations to gain a foothold in the industry.Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchukFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/

Mana Labs Co-Founder Mimi Nguyen is in the host’s chair this week as she and Ayman Jawhar tell us how to hire product managers properly.And who better to ask than Ayman? With product experience at tech giants like PayPal and smaller firms like Hudl, he knows how to optimise product teams at companies of all sizes. And as a lecturer for INSEAD and a mentor at Seedcamp, he’s helping great start-ups hire product managers effectively.To kick off the episode, Ayman and Mimi talk about the future of product management, why companies need to build product-first cultures, and how employers can find the perfect product professional. Plus, they discuss how CEO and CPO roles overlap and why fintech is ahead of the game on product.Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchukFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/ Episode Highlights:05:27: Why traditional product management techniques are ineffective12:15: The problem with how companies hire product managers15:32: Why hiring a CPO is so daunting21:08: When it comes to product, why is fintech ahead of the curve?27:28: How INSEAD helped Ayman find a job at PayPal29:55: Why product people need experience at big and small companies35:00: How teaching helps Ayman strengthen his product knowledge

We’ve got blockchain on the brain this week as serial founder Alex Mashinsky sits down with Lloyd to talk DeFi, crypto and so much more.As Founder and CEO of Arbinet, Alex made his name in the ‘90s as a pioneer of VOIP. From there, he went on to found eight more companies that raised a total of $1 billion in funds. Today, he runs Celsius Network, a P2P crypto lender that boasts more than $1 billion in deposits.In their wide-ranging conversation, Alex tells Lloyd why traditional finance is ripe for disruption and why he believes crypto will bring about that change. They also discuss why COVID will be a driver of new career opportunities, how Alex creates unusually successful companies and the forces that motivate Alex to constantly shake up established industries.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights:02:11: The reason Alex wants to share Celsius’s yield with his customer base11:00: The reasons traditional finance is ripe for disruption16:34: Why Alex left a successful public company to start Celsius21:37: How job creation will accelerate in the wake of COVID24:33: The promising future of crypto29:40: How Alex creates unusually successful start-ups34:09: Why Alex feels so responsible to the Celsius community39:44: How the best patents tell a story44:25: Big predictions on the future of finance

Luck is on your side this week as NYU and LSE faculty member Christian Busch joins Lloyd to discuss his new book, The Serendipity Mindset.The Director of NYU’s Global Economy Program, Christian has extensive experience with social entrepreneurship. He co-founded the Sandbox Network, a global hub for young innovators, and has advised companies like TED and Haier. And with The Serendipity Mindset, he’s exploring how the world’s best CEOs cultivate luck to gain a competitive edge.During their conversation, Christian tells Lloyd about the differences between smart and dumb luck, how to turn rejection into an opportunity, and why saying “no” can still leave you open to serendipity. Plus, they delve into the incident that sent Christian on an intense search for meeting and tackle unconscious bias in tech.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInBuy Christian’s book: The Serendipity MindsetEpisode Highlights:03:29: The Serendipity Mindset: how to attract smart luck09:07: How to say “no” and still be open to opportunity14:04: How to allow serendipitous connections to happen20:28: Reframing: how to turn rejection into an opportunity27:03: Why staying true to your north star ultimately helps you get ahead31:18: The event that spurred Christian’s search for meaning35:41: How can people network healthily online?40:17: Combating unconscious biases in tech.44:00: What’s next for Christian

It’s time to get innovative as Lloyd welcomes acclaimed writer and speaker Alf Rehn.From becoming the youngest university chair in Finland to serving as a chairman to a Gold Lion-winning ad agency, Alf has led a vast and varied career. Today, he’s a professor of innovation, design and management at the University of Southern Denmark and the author of Innovation for the Fatigued: How to Build a Culture of Deep Creativity.On this episode, Lloyd and Alf discuss what companies are getting wrong about innovation, why fatigue is set in and how to fix it. Alf also explains why the biggest icons are those who are free to take risks and outlines the three attributes of successful CEOs. Plus, hear about the big company Alf missed the boat on and hear what he learned from meeting GE magnate Jack Welch.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInBuy Alf’s book, Innovation for the Fatigued Episode Highlights:04:17: The surprising lesson Alf learned from meeting GE executive Jack Welch09:00: The three attributes of successful CEOs10:55: Innovation fatigue and how neobanks contribute to it16:00: Why big companies aren’t necessarily bad innovators22:17: Innovation as a balance of curiosity and perseverance28:30: Why the most innovative companies lead by example32:00: How the opportunity of a lifetime thrust Alf into an existential crisis40:24: Why contrarians continue to fascinate Alf46:41: Alf’s advice for climbing the career ladder

Dr. Louise Beaumont joins Lloyd for a far-reaching conversation that covers the future of open banking, the history of UK FinTech and everything happening in between.Louise is an ideal guest to comment on it all. Since completing her PhD in just 15 months and working as a consultant for Capgemini, she’s led a versatile and varied career, making an early investment in Funding Options and advising organisations from Bottomline to TechUK and Pay.UK. Louise holds a number of prominent roles in UK FinTech, and even chairs a podcast company, Message Heard, on top of it all.To kick off the episode, Louise walks Lloyd through her early experience and tells us why she’s never worried about making her career look good on paper. From there, the conversation dives into the ways Louise affects regulatory change, why Funding Options is such an intuitive company, how to make innovation accessible to businesses and which companies are best positioned to capitalise on open data.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedInListen to the I Can Be podcastCheck out the full roster of Message Heard showsCheck out a few of the companies Louise works with, including:BottomlineFunding OptionsTechUKPay.UK Episode Highlights:02:45: The Starling vs Monzo news and why Catherine Zeta-Jones should play Anne Boden08:51: Why Louise has never tried to make her career look good on paper12:32: How increased diversity improved business at Capgemini20:25: How Louise helps companies get ahead of regulatory changes27:05: Why Louise is suspicious of innovation books32:30: Want to understand Open Data? Think of a daisy40:20: How the government can enable progress within the FinTech community47:06: The secret superpower that fuels Louise’s career

The future of money is here as Octopus Ventures Partner Zihao Xu sits down with Lloyd to discuss how he finds tomorrow’s fintech behemoths.After starting his career with renowned strategic consultancy Roland Berger, Zihao moved into the venture capital sphere with Octopus, which identifies “unusually talented entrepreneurs” and offers early-stage funding. In this in-depth conversation, Zihao tells us what he looks for in an entrepreneur, how he determines the potential of products that haven’t even been built yet, and why effective staffing is the most important thing in building a successful enterprise. Plus, Zihao lets us in on what the next decade of fintech has in store and whether the shift to fully digital currencies is inevitable. Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights:05:55: What constitutes unusual talent and how does Zihao identify it?08:52: How Octopus prioritises product in early-stage investments17:48: The importance of staffing effectively in early-stage businesses.21:52: How the internet is spurring major changes in finance29:30: What does the next decade of finance have in store?35:35: Why Octopus is investing in crypto derivatives39:40: Zihao’s path into (and out of) consulting43:29: How Bitcoin spurred Zihao to follow his passion49:45: What Zi does to be the best venture capitalist possible.39:10: How to increase executive diversity in FinTech41:05: How to build a purpose-driven culture

PensionBee Founder and CEO Romina Savova joins Lloyd to examine a sector that’s ripe for disruption: pensions.That’s the idea behind PensionBee, which Romina founded after working at behemoths like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. When she tried to consolidate her pensions in one place, she found the task impossible and received little to no help from financial advisors or her provider. That led her to found PensionBee, which has partnered with some of the sector’s biggest money managers, including Legal & General and BlackRock.In a far-reaching chat with Lloyd, Romina tells us about the advice gap in pensions, the rising demand for responsible investments and why sustainability and strong ROI aren’t mutually exclusive. Then she lays out her career trajectory from law to finance, outlines which types of businesses should pursue venture capital, and tells us how to build a purpose-driven culture.Follow Mana Search on TwitterFollow Mana Search on LinkedIn