Manchester Digital invites you to join us for our highly anticipated Fintech Conference 2024 on Thursday 19th September at No.1 Circle Square, Oxford Road, Manchester.
Our annual Fintech Conference brings together fintech and finance experts, leading brands and other businesses that serve the sector from across the North West for an afternoon of insightful keynote sessions, panel discussions and networking opportunities. Across a packed afternoon’s agenda, industry leaders from the likes of AND DIGITAL, Klarna, Starling Bank and thinkmoney will share their expertise, offering insights into the latest innovations and challenges facing the sector plus a glimpse into the future of fintech.
The Fintech Conference 2024 is delivered in partnership with our event sponsors: AND Digital, CyberLab and Bruntwood SciTech.
When: Thursday 19th September 2024
Where: No1 Circle Square, 3 Symphony Park, Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 7FS
What to expect:
- Cutting-edge insights from fintech experts and industry leaders
- Engaging panel discussions on industry challenges and innovations
- Fantastic networking opportunities with peers from across the sector
- A comprehensive overview of the latest trends shaping financial technology
Who should attend:
- Senior fintech executives and C-Suite leaders
- Fintech innovators and entrepreneurs
- Technology experts specialising in finance
Why attend:
- Gain valuable insights from successful financial institutions
- Engage in discussions about the challenges facing the fintech sector
- Discover the latest innovations driving the industry forward
- Stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving financial landscape
- Expand your professional network with like-minded industry leaders
Don’t miss the opportunity to join us for an afternoon of insightful discussions, engaging presentations and interactive sessions led by experts from across Greater Manchester's innovative fintech sector.
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Featuring sessions by:
Sponsored by:
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AGENDA
12:30 - Registration
13:00 - Welcome, overview and MD Events & initiatives, Manchester Digital
Studio 1
13:15 - Transforming the banking industry : the Starling story - Starling Bank
13:45 - FinTech Under Siege: How a Hacker Can Break into Your Company In 5 Minutes - Cyberlab
14:15 - Misconceptions of Buy Now Pay Later - Klarna
Studio 2
13:15 - Open Banking, AI and Voice: Empowering the Next Generation of Financial Services - Capgemini
13:45 - "DORA – essential takeaways for UK FS businesses" - DAC Beachcroft
14:15 - How we used technology to make investor-ready models affordable - Powdr
14:45 - Networking break
15:15 - Delivering a customer-centric banking platform with AND Digital & thinkmoney
15:55 - Panelist Discussion - Is Manchester the Secret Weapon of AI-powered Fintech' with AI Tech, Corlytics, Ryft Pay & TLT
16:35 - Wrap Up from Kate Wilson, Manchester Digital
16:45 - Drinks and networking - sponsored by Just After Midnight
18:30 - Close
Guest Speakers
Jason Maude Head of Technology at Starling Bank
Jason Maude is a coder, coach, and public speaker. He has over a decade's experience working in the financial sector, primarily in creating and delivering software. He is passionate about explaining complex technical concepts to those who are convinced that they won’t be able to understand them. Jason is also host of the Starling Developer podcast which gives insider access into what goes on behind the curtain at a leading challenger bank.
Panelist Discussion - Is Manchester the Secret Weapon of AI-powered Fintech
Chair - David Avis, Product Delivery Principle at And Digital
Sherin Matthews, CEO at AI Tech UK
David Gardner, Partner and Head of Fintech at TLT
Elaine Mullan, Head of marketing & business development at Corlytics
Elaine Mullan is the Head of Marketing at Corlytics, a leading global provider of regulatory risk intelligence and analytics for the financial services industry. She brings extensive experience from her successful tenure at various fintech firms, where she led impactful marketing campaigns and product launches on a global scale. Elaine is a strong advocate for mentoring women in tech and fintech marketing and has been recognised as one of the top 30 most influential marketers in the fintech sector.
Alex MacKenzie, Founder at Ryft
Alex is the co-founder of Ryft, a fintech scale-up based in Manchester. With a focus on innovative payment solutions, Alex helps drive the company's mission to simplify and accelerate financial transactions for businesses across the UK.
Fireside chat: Delivering a customer-centric banking platform with thinkmoney
Rob Jones (Host), Club Exec at AND Digital
"Rob Jones is Club Exec (MD) for AND Digital in Manchester. He oversees a team of more than 90 digital experts across the region, providing services to businesses across a wide range of sectors.
With over two decades of experience in the industry, Rob has a proven record of delivering innovative digital solutions that drive commercial growth for brands across a variety of sectors.
Maz Hussain,Client Services Manager at AND Digital
Maz, Client Services Manager at AND Digital is responsible for leading client engagement across a portfolio of businesses in the North West. Maz ensures AND are delivering value and impact for partners and enhancing client experiences.
Andy Leitch, Chief Technology Officer at thinkmoney
Andy Leitch, thinkmoney’s Chief Technology Officer, oversees the development and implementation of technology solutions to enhance thinkmoney’s internal and external services. Leading a talented team of tech professionals, Andy plays a crucial role in driving technological advancements and improving user experiences. His leadership ensures thinkmoney continually adapts to the ever-evolving tech landscape.
Pete Willerton, Senior Product Manager at thinkmoney
Pete Willerton is a Senior Product Manager at thinkmoney, where he leads cross-functional teams including designers, researchers and engineers to create and deliver customer-centric products and services. With a focus on positively impacting customers' lives, Pete plays a key role in driving innovation, ensuring that every feature developed aligns with the company's mission of improving financial wellbeing for its users. Pete's leadership in product strategy and development ensures seamless collaboration and a strong commitment to delivering meaningful results.
FinTech Under Siege: How a Hacker Can Break into Your Company In 5 Minutes
Chris Workman, Account Director at CyberLab
The finance sector is the number one target of cyber threat actors with 65% of organisations hit by ransomware in 2024, according to recent research by Sophos.
Join us for a live walkthrough of a cyber attack simulation led by the CyberLab Account Director, Chris Workman, and constructed by our team of CREST, CHECK, and Cyber Scheme-approved engineers.
Chris will explain how a company can be breached, the most common weaknesses malicious actors can exploit, and the best cyber security practices you can adopt to protect your data.
Misconceptions surrounding Buy Now Pay Later
Danielle Reed, Head of Commercial at Klarna
Danielle will explore the common misconceptions surrounding Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services. In this talk, she'll debunk prevalent myths, clarify how BNPL works, and discuss its impact on consumers and businesses. Whether you're a skeptic or an advocate, this session will provide valuable insights into the reality of BNPL and how to navigate it responsibly.
"DORA – essential takeaways for UK FS businesses"
Chris Air, Partner at DAC Beachcroft
Chris is a Partner in DACB’s national commercial and technology department and heads up its Manchester tech team. Chris combines genuine expertise in transactional technology projects with advising on data protection compliance, use of AI and other emerging technologies.
He has 10 years’ experience in helping regional, national and international clients across a range of sectors, with complex IT projects,. He has recently supported high profile FS clients on strategically important projects, ranging from the implementation of digital trader platform, an open banking project and the roll out of a payment gateway and merchant acquiring solution.
Open Banking, AI and Voice: Empowering the Next Generation of Financial Services
Aparna Biswas, Managing Consultant, Inventive Banking at Capgemini Invent
How we used technology to make investor-ready models affordable
Joseph van Gelder, CEO at Powdr
Nicola van Gelder, Chief Operating Officer at Powdr
Having watched so many smaller businesses get rejected for finance in the outset of his career, Joe, Powdr's CEO set out on a mission to make financial forecasting driven by a business's KPIs (aka the thing that investors or banks need to understand in such an application) accessible to all businesses, no matter their size or starting point.
We will talk about our journey to creating a fintech, paving the way to make a difference to the 50% of companies that are rejected for funding every year, many of whom could be successful if they could turn their business strategy and plans into a viable financial forecast to underpin their application.
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At Manchester Digital, we believe in creating an inclusive and diverse community where everyone feels welcome and valued. We are committed to ensuring that all our event attendees have a safe, enjoyable experience that meets their needs.
We invite all attendees to contact us if they have any dietary requirements, accessibility needs, or neurodiversity requirements, or if they require accommodations to respect their cultural or religious needs during their visit. We believe that by working together, we can create an environment that is welcoming to all and allows everyone to fully participate in our events.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to hear from you and to work with you to ensure that our events are accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Please flag any special dietary or accessibility requirements to ellie@manchesterdigital.com as soon as possible.
