The Women in FinTech Powerlist 2021 shines a spotlight on the women leading innovation in financial services. Now in its 7th year, the Powerlist has increasingly attracted a global audience, resulting in applications and nominations from around the world. The 2021 iteration shines a spotlight on 250 women across 9 categories.
A select number of women were chosen for the ‘Standout 45’ distinction by a panel of independent judges. Innovate Finance called on the FinTech ecosystem to nominate and submit applications, and received 1000s of responses, highlighting that there is certainly no lack of female talent within the sector!
We want to congratulate everyone for their hard work and achievements and hope to see you all again for next year’s Powerlist.
“The transformation of financial services is being driven by passionate, inspiring female leaders representing all levels of seniority and all components of the FinTech ecosystem. In their role as entrepreneurs, founders, investors, bankers, communicators, tech experts, and more, it is these outstanding women who are moving the needle and making financial services more sustainable, more effective, and more inclusive for all. Shining a light on the incredible women making a true difference is an honour, and something we look forward to every year here at Innovate Finance.
We want the Powerlist to serve as a tool for inspiring the next generation of female leaders. While we are only able to profile a small number of outstanding women in this list, we hope it serves as a testament and a tribute to all the incredible females that are changing the world every day. There is so much more to be done in terms in terms of creating a more diverse and equal sector and society, but today let’s celebrate the great achievement that we have made so far, and continue to drive forward even greater change.”
– Janine Hirt, CEO, Innovate Finance
Sponsors:
Lead Sponsor of the Women in FinTech Initiative
Lead Sponsor of the Powerlist 2021
Lead Sponsor of the Powerlist 2021
Standout 45 Stars
A select number of women were chosen for the ‘Standout 45’ due to their outstanding contribution to FinTech, these ladies were selected by a panel of independent judges.
“Each year the Powerlist and the Standout 35 are an important reminder of how vital diversity is to FinTech, not only in the UK, but around the world. We have amazing women working all across different areas of FinTech, and I am delighted that we have had a record turnout this year, demonstrating that there is absolutely no lack of female talent in the sector.
“As a global FinTech powerhouse, the UK has a responsibility to lead by example, and we hope that our Powerlist serves as a reminder of the success of females to date, and a catalyst for further progress.”
– Clare Black, Director of Corporate Affairs & Communications, Innovate Finance
Women in FinTech Powerlist 2021
Celebrating the female leaders and innovators transforming financial services across a broad range of roles.
Senior Leaders
Senior leaders truly driving forward change within the FinTech space, above and beyond their day-to-day role. They have excelled in their career, but are also passionate about helping others make progress in theirs – through mentoring, setting up support groups to share experiences or voluntary work.
Abigail Daniels, Global Head of PR, Wise
Alex Ford, President, North America, Encompass
Alison Livesey, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Payments – Global Head of FIG Sales Strategy & Business Development, J.P.Morgan
Amber Ghaddar, Founder and CIO, AllianceBlock
Amy Vetter, CEO, Keynote Speaker, Consultant, The B3 Method® Institute
Anabel Perez, CEO and Co-Founder, NovoPayment
Anastasia Dokuchaeva, Head of Product, Clausematch
Andrea Reynolds, CEO and Founder, Financial Services
Bianca Granara, CFO, Salary Finance
Bode Abifarin, COO- Chief Operating Officer, Flutterwave
Briana van Strijp, CEO, CPO & Partner, Anthemis Group
Daniela Binatti, Co-Founder and CTO, Pismo
Daniella Lorenzo Rhodes, CTO, Toqio Fintech SL
Deniz Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, Stratyfy
Diana Paredes, CEO & Co-founder, Suade
Eimear O’Connor, Chief Operating Officer, Form3
Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO and Founder, AZA Finance
Emily Reid, Partner, Hogan Lovells
Erica Marquez Avitia, Chief Operating Officer, Old Mission
Fidelma McGuirk, Founder & CEO, Payslip
Fiona Roach Canning, Co-Founder, Chief Product & Marketing Officer, Pollinate
Gabrielle Haddad, Founder & COO, Sigma Ratings Inc.
Georgina Whalley, CEO, Openpay
Helen Child, Founder, Open Banking Excellence (OBE)
Holly Mackay, Founder & CEO, Boring Money
Iana Dimitrova, Chief Executive, OpenPayd
Ioana Surpateanu, Chief Strategy Officer, DIA
Ioanna Stanegloudi, Co-Founder & Chief Risk Officer, finclude
Jenela Gunasekaran, Chief Product Officer, Paydock
Jenifer Swallow, Director, LAWTECH UK
Jenny Just, Co-founder and Managing Partner, PEAK6 Investments
Jess Houlgrave, Chief of Staff, Checkout.com
Jessica Teerovengadum-Naga, Director, Digital Associates Ltd (Founder and Managing Director) SECDEX Group of companies (Co-founder and Director Legal & Compliance) Digital Partners Network Group (Co-Founder and Executive Director)
Jessica Zoutsos, CEO, Capitalex
Jo Ann Barefoot, CEO & Cofounder, AIR – Alliance for Innovative Regulation
Joanne Dewar, Chief Executive Officer, Global Processing Services (GPS)
June Felix, Chief Executive Officer, IG Group
Karen Barrett, CEO & Founder, Unbiased
Kaushalya Somasundaram, Head of UK Payments Partnerships & Industry Relations, Square Inc
Kelly Read-Parish, Chief Operating Officer, Credit Kudos
Klaudia Gorczyca, Director of International Business, PremFina
Lara O’Connor Hodgson, President, CEO and Co-founder, Now®
Lisa Jacobs, CEO, Funding Circle
Liza Haskell, Chief Administrative Officer, Tide
Lorraine Waters, Chief Data Officer, Solidatus
Louise Hill, Co-founder and COO, GoHenry
Louise O’Shea, CEO, Confused.com
Lucy Liu, Co-founder and President, Airwallex
Lynda Coker, Commercial Director, Volt Bank
Maria Pasquale, Co-Founder, UpSpark
Marieke Flament, CEO, NEAR Foundation
Martha Mghendi-Fisher, Founder & Chair, European Women Payments Network (EWPN)
Michelle Darracott, Chief Strategy Officer, Fintech
Misha Rao, GLOBAL FINTECH ADVISOR, SHEARMAN & STERLING LLP
Monica Eaton-Cardone, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Chargebacks911
Monika Liikaamaa, Co-Founder, Group CEO & Chair, Enfuce
Monique Baars, Founder and CEO, FinEazy
Nadia Sood, CEO, CreditEnable
Nadya Hijazi, Global Head of Digital Channels, Wholesale Banking, HSBC
Naomi Braisby, HR Director, LANDBAY
Natasha Wear, CEO of P2P, Zopa
Nathalie Oestmann, Chief Operating Officer, Curve
Neeta Mundra, Financial Services Transformation Advisor, Salesforce
Nicola Anderson, Chief Executive, FinTech Scotland
Nicola Firth, Founder & CEO, Knowledge Bank
Nina Mohanty, CEO and founder, Bloom Money
Noha Shaker, Founder & Secretary General -Egyptian FinTech association, Co-founder and VP -Africa FinTech
Network, Partner-Gobi partners, Egyptian FinTech Association, Africa FinTech Netwrok, Gobi Partners
Nora Apsel, Co-Founder and CEO, Morty
Roxana Mohammadian-Molina, Chief Strategy Officer, Blend Network
Roxane Sanguinetti, Head of strategy, GHCO
Rupal Patel, SVP Data insights & risk Intelligence, Acin
Ruth Spratt, Commercial Director and Board Director, Zip
Ruth Wandhöfer, Fintech industry leader, VC partner and digital transformation specialist, GC Partners and Gauss Ventures
Sabrina Del Prete, Founder and CEO, Kore Labs Ltd
Samantha Seaton, CEO, Moneyhub Enterprise
Sandra Tobler, CEO, Futurae
Sarah Kirshbaum Levey, Chief Executive Officer, Betterment
Seema Khinda Johnson, Co-Founder & COO, Nuggets
Sharon Butler, EVP, Global Education, Flywire, Flywire
Sharon Henley, Chief Product Officer, Coincover
Sharon Lewis, Sector Group Leader of Finance, Insurance and Investment, Hogan Lovells
Shelby Austin, CEO, Arteria AI
Sinead McHale, Chief Executive Officer, Satago Financial Solutions Limited
Sofie Blakstad, CEO, hiveonline
Sophie Gerber, Co-CEO, TRAction
Sophie Guibaud, Chief Commercial & Growth Officer, Fiat Republic
Suezann Holmes, CEO & Founder, ScaleXP
Sujata Bhatia, Chief Operating Officer, Monzo
Tammy Stronghold, CEO and Co-Founder, Stronghold
Tanya Bartolini, Chief Revenue Officer, Jacobi
Tanya Van Court, Founder & CEO, Goalsetter
Tina Jabeen, Former CEO and Founding Managing Director, Startup Bangladesh Ltd.
Tingting Peng, Head of Capital Markets, ESG, and Communications, Moove
Tram Anh Nguyen, co-founder, CFTE
Ulyana Shtybel, CCO, HighCastle
Uma Rajah, CEO, CapitalRise
Victoria Gosling, Chief strategy officer, Auden
Victoria Roberts, Director of Fintech Delivery Panel & Insurtech Board, Tech Nation
Yael Tamar, CEO & Co-founder, SolidBlock
Rising Stars
Dedicated to Catherine Wines.
From relative newbies determined to make their mark as a future FinTech leader or a role models for the industry, they have hit the ground running and gone beyond their job description. Their contributions to successful projects, innovative ideas and other standout achievements has set them apart.
Alice Tapper, Founder, Go Fund Yourself
Anastasia Kinsky, Head of Programmes and Content, Global Digital Finance
Ashlyn Lackey, Vice President – Startup Commercialization, Citi
Cherrie Liu, Founder of NUS MBA FinTech Club, NUS
Chryssi Chorafa, Founder and CEO, StarLiX
CJ Tayeh, Founder & CEO, Flank Digital
Clare Joy, Director, Strategy & Expansion, onfido
Clarisse Awamengwi, Blockchain and Digital Assets Specialist, World Economic Forum
Doina Chiselita, Manager, FinTech Strategy, EY
Elise Weber, Co-founder and Chief sales and marketing officer, Skytra
Elizabeth Boampong, Compliance Analyst, Curve
Ella Hastings, CMO / COO, Wagonex Ltd
Evin Cheikosman, Policy Analyst, Crypto Impact and Sustainability Accelerator (CISA), World Economic Forum
Farhana Kuddus, Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, 10x Banking
Fran Warrington, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Funding Circle
Galina Stavskaya, Investment Director, Claro Money
Georgia Haigh, Investment Analyst, Anthemis Group
Gerisha Nadaraju, Head of Product Operations, Dojo
Gloria Li, Research Assistant, Harvard Business School
Gwera Kiwana, Product Manager, 11:FS
Irina Erofeeva, Product lead developer, Schwarzthal Tech
Irina Mnohoghitnei, Senior Fintech Specialist, Bank of England
Kat Cloud, UK Policy Lead, Plaid
Lauren Taylor, Business Development Manager, KPMG
Lida Loem, Co-Founder and Head of Learning Design, SHE Investments
Malvika Taneja, Strategy Consultancy Partnerships Lead, Thought Machine
Marion Laboure, Director at Deutsche Bank and Senior Lecturer at Harvard University, Deutsche Bank & Harvard University
Merit Valdsalu, CEO & co-founder, Single.Earth
Nadezhda Ivanova, CMO, Unlimint
Natasha Jones, Early-Stage Investor, Octopus Ventures
Nida Rahimi-Naeem, Field Marketing Manager, Relativity
Nida Sattar, International Payments Product Lead, ClearBank
Nyasha Madzimbamuto-Ray, Client Manager, Capital on Tap
Phoebe Singer, Marketing and Communications Analyst, mmob
Rosie Zehtab, Head of Community, Illuminate Financial
Sabah Mathur, Legal Counsel, Checkout.com
Shelby Wilson, Agile Coach, Agilis Consultancy Ltd
Vinita Ramtri, Head of API Standards and Governance, HSBC
Professional & Financial Services
Professional and financial service professionals that are championing FinTech within their respective teams. They are the inhouse specialist, the go-to for the latest in FinTech trends and an influential voice on sector innovations and diversity in finance.
Chloe Dean, Senior Customer Success Manager, Onfido
Dawn Knaggs, Financial Controller, Privalgo Ltd
Donna Parisi, Global Head of Financial Services and FinTech, Shearman & Sterling LLP
Emily Sharland, Associate Director – FinTech Services, Smith & Williamson
Fiona Ghosh, Partner, Head of Fintech, Addleshaw Goddard LLP
Jacqui Hatfield, Partner, Head of Financial Services Regulatory (UK), Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (UK) LLP
Jelena Madir, General Counsel, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Kama Totherow, VP Professional Services, OptiFunder Corp.
Kate Bohn, Global Head of Private Markets Technology, MAM, Macquarie Group
Lisa Gutu, COO, Salt Edge
Louise Brett, Vice Chair; FinTech and Financial Services Innovation Leader Deloitte UK and Europe, Deloitte LLP
Mireia Reyes, Head of HR, Smart Pension
Mukankunga (Angel) Bisamaza, Digital Finance & Remittance Specialist, United Nations Capital Development Fund
Mumuksha Singh, Senior Associate, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Ruth Pearson, General Counsel, LendInvest
Sarah Woodland, MANAGING DIRECTOR – HEAD OF DIGITAL BANKING AND MARCUS UK LEGAL, GOLDMAN SACHS
Seema Farazi, Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Sharon Chen, FinTech Strategy, EY
Sharon Li, Innovation Mindset Lead, Barclays
Sophie Bialaszewski, Head of People, Culture and Transformation, LLoyds Banking Group
Sophie Theen, Chief Customer & People Officer, Oakam
Sue McLean, Partner, Technology, Baker McKenzie
Tea Muratovic, CoFounder, Managing Partner, Seasonax
Tribeni Chougule, Director, Inclusive Impact and Sustainability, Europe, Visa
Yasmin Johal, Associate, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Technology Professionals
These ladies are striving to make a contribution in the heart of the Tech part of FinTech. From designing or implementing complex software packages, to making a really innovative contribution to their firm’s systems or processes, they are taking technology to the next level.
Sponsored by:
Alejandra M. J. Litterio, Co-Founder & Chief Research Officer, Eye Capital Ltd.
Anna Wilmot, Product Manager, Wagestream
Casey Lord, Product Director, Monzo
Dimitrina Baleva, Lead of Agile Delivery, Tide
Dipti Kulkarni, Senior Vice President, Bank of America
Elizabeth Prendergast, Software Engineer, Yapily
Elsie Russell Brown, VP, Technology Product Management, Grayscale
Inga Mullins, CEO & Founder, Fluency
Isabe Pitt, Head of Core Services, Zopa
Jane Stroucken, Programme Manager, ModusBox Inc.
Lakshmi Subbramanian, Engineering manager, Alloy
Rosie O’Donnell, Software Engineer, Fluidly
Sophie Dermaux, Technical Programme Manager, Onfido
Policymakers & Regulatory Experts
FinTech is growing up and with adulthood comes responsibility! We are celebrating the women in regulation, government affairs and policy, who play a vital role in encouraging innovation.
Alison Donnelly, Director, FSCom Limited
Aneth Kasebele, Regional Policy Advisor, Inclusive Digital Economies, UNCDF
Angie Huff, Regulatory Advisory Director, Kaizen Reporting
Flora Coleman, Director of Public Affairs and Global Society, Klarna
Francesca Hopwood Road, Head of RegTech & Advanced Analytics, FCA
Funmi Dele-Giwa, General Counsel & Head, GRC, MFS Africa
Jannah Patchay, Originating Team Member and Policy Lead, Digital Pound Foundation
Jessica Bilcock, Public Policy and Campaigns Manager, Monzo
Jessica Rusu, Chief Data, Information, & Intelligence Officer, Financial Conduct Authority
Kay Swinburne, Vice Chair of Financial Services, KPMG
Laura Navaratnam, Director, Gattaca Horizons
Maria Palmieri, Head of Public Policy, Yapily
Nicole Sandler, Head of Digital Policy, Financial Institution (Bank)
Olivia Broderick, General Counsel & Head of Regulatory, Checkout.com
Philippa Martinelli, Global FinTech & Innovation Advisor, Portfolio includes Department for International Trade, UNICEF Venture Fund
Rachel Kent, Partner, Hogan Lovells, Hogan Lovells
Sarah Green, LAW COMMISSIONER FOR COMMERCIAL AND COMMON LAW, LAW COMMISSION OF ENGLAND AND WALES
Sid Ulker, Counsel, Ashurst
Sophia Bantanidis, Head of Regulatory Strategy and Policy Innovation Lab, Citibank
Yasmeen Al Sharaf, Director – Head of FinTech & Innovation Unit, Central Bank of Bahrain
Investors
Playing a key role in changing the current funding environment for women founders and entrepreneurs, these ladies are encouraging companies to take their innovative ideas to the next stage.
Adizah A. Tejani, Global Manager, HSBC Ventures
Anais Cisneros, Investor /Operator | Fintech | INSEAD MBA | Included VC
Smita Aggarwal, Global Investments Advisor, Flourish Ventures
Yvonne Bajela, Principal and founding member, Impact X capital
Paula Blazquez, Solano Head of Investments InnoCells, Bank Sabadell
Monica Brand Engel, Founder/Partner, Quona Capital
Pauline Brunel, Investment Manager, Blackfin Tech
Briehan Burke, Principal, Keen Venture Partners
Jennifer Byrne, CEO & Co-Founder, Quesnay Inc.
Elizabeth Davis, Investor, Anthemis Group
Isabelle Gallo, Partner, Breega
Tricia Kemp, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Oak HC/FT
Ellen Logan, Associate, Augmentum Fintech
Cecilia Lundborg, Senior Associate, Hedosophia
Peggy Mangot, Operating Partner, PayPal Ventures
Laviva Mazhar, Investment Associate, Luge Capital
Gloria Monfrini, Venture Partner, Redbus
Emily Morse, Principal, Actis Capital
Deepali Nangia, Venture Partner, Cosmic and Co
Lois Ollerenshaw, Venture Partner, Nationwide Building Society
Katie Palencsar, Investor, Venture Studio Lead, Anthemis
Kristina Söderberg, Investment Manager SEB, AB
Emma Steele, Investment Director, Ascension Ventures
Angela Strange, General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
Kristy Trieste, Chief Financial Officer, Motive Partners
Katherine Wilson, Venture Investor, Illuminate Financial
Sarah Kocianski Head of Strategic Insights, Fintech Founders factory
Sophie Winwood, Investor, Anthemis Group
Marketers & Communicators
From commanding the authoritative voice of their organisation, to sharing key insights that go beyond traditional media, these women play an important role in showcasing the value of FinTech to the world.
Anhar Khanbhai, Senior PR Manager (Pacific and Japan), Wise (formerly Transferwise)
Ani Petrova, Founder, AP Marketing Solutions
Anna Panayi, Product Marketing Manager, Claro Money
Becci Furnell, Head of Global Press Office, Open Banking Excellence (OBE)
Caroline Vaughn, Head of External Affairs and PR, Minna Tech
Christy Fung, Global Lead, Customer Success, Checkout.com
Courteney Way, Marketing Director, Funding Options
Elise Brown, Marketing Director, Anthemis Group
Emily Thomas, UK Consumer PR Lead at Klarna, Klarna
Georgie Scott, Head of Brand and Partnerships, Wagestream
Harriet Allner, Fintech Director / Fintech Lead, Common Industry
Isha Chander, Executive Director, Head of EMEA Marketing, Payments, JPMorgan Chase & Co
Leigh Rimmer, Senior PR Manager, LendInvest
Lucy Heavens, Chief Marketing Officer, 10x Banking
Lucy Woolfenden, Founder of The Part-Time CMO & Scale Up, The Part-Time CMO
Nicola Cowburn, Founder & Managing Director, Finarama Marketing Ltd
Olivia Minnock, Editor, FinTech Alliance
Payal Raina, Founder, FinTech B2B Marketing
Rachel Kerrone, Director of Brand and Marketing, Starling Bank
Sarah Aird-Mash, Head of EMEA Marketing, Currencycloud
Wambui Karanja, Director, LEA Client Services Limited
ESG
This new category seeks to recognise the women who are going above and beyond to embed environmental, social and governance principles into the FinTech ecosystem; or who have founded, or lead, a firm that uses FinTech to solve some of the key problem areas facing society.
Sponsored by:
Ajaita Shah, Founder & CEO, Frontier Markets
Chia Lee, UK Head of Compliance, Funding Circle
Dana Lunberry, Senior Strategy Advisor, ESG Base
Danielle Treharne, Director EMEA, WorldRemit
Jude Cook, CEO & Co-Founder, Share In Ltd
Lesley Li, CEO & Co-founder, u impact (impact4good GmbH)
Lishia Erza, CEO, ASYX
Natasha Condon, Managing Director, Global Head of Core Trade, J.P.Morgan
Rosita Najmi, Head, Global Social Innovation, PayPal
Yodaly Sierra-Rubio, founder – CEO, eco2wallet.com
Hubs
This new category is open to women who work in international and national hubs or ecosystems; non-governmental organisations; schools, colleges or universities. We are seeking examples fro, those who go the extra mile to link industry and academia; or who convene a community of FinTech innovators to create a responsible, diverse and inclusive culture.
Charlotte Rønje, CEO of Jamii.one, Jamii.one
Clare Whitehead, Head of Rise London and Barclays FinTech Platform Lead, Barclays (specifically, Rise the #HomeofFinTech)
Dr. Wajeeha Awadh, Chief Digital Officer, Al Baraka Banking Group
Gina Fanning, CEO, CompliNet Ltd
Karan Elliott, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Enterprise & Innovation (FinTech) Ambassador for the Digital Poverty Alliance Prime Minister’s Challenge Group for Dementia – Digital Inclusion, Newcastle University
Marjolaine Chaintreau, Head of Private Sector Digital Payment Innovation, Better Than Cash Alliance at United Nations Capital Development Fund
Masego Mbaakanyi, Founder, Fintech Association of Botswana
Michelle Beyo, CEO & Founder, Finavator Inc.
Michelle Tran, Co-Founder, NYC FinTech Women
Pinar Ozcan, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Oxford University
Remonda Kirketerp-Møller, Founder and CEO, Muinmos
Sarah Williams-Gardener, Fintech Wales CEO, Fintech Wales
Taynaah Reis, CEO and Co-Founder, Moeda
- Senior Leaders
- Rising Stars
- Professional & Financial Services
- Technology Professionals
- Policymakers & Regulatory Experts
- Investors
- Marketers & Communicators
Senior Leaders
Senior leaders truly driving forward change within the FinTech space, above and beyond their day-to-day role. They have excelled in their career, but are also passionate about helping others make progress in theirs – through mentoring, setting up support groups to share experiences or voluntary work.
Claire Altman, Chief Corporate Officer, Smart Pension
Nicola Anderson, CEO Fintech Scotland, Fintech Scotland
Benedetta Arese Lucini, CEO, Oval Money
Teana Baker-Taylor, General Manager, UK Crypto.com
Randa Bennett, CEO, VeeLoop Ltd
Sofie Blakstad, CEO, hiveonline
Francesca Carlesi, Co-founder and CEO, Molo
Alex Cesar, Chief Technology Officer, Refinitiv
Helen Child, Co-founder and CEO, Open Banking Excellence
Chryssi Chorafa, COO, Kalgera
Lynda Coker, Commercial Director, Volt Bank
Megan Cooper (Caywood), Managing Director, Head of Digital Strategy, Barclays
Sabrina Del Prete, Founder & CEO, Kore
Seema Desai Chief Operating Officer, iwoca
Joanne Dewar, Chief Executive Officer, Global Processing Services (GPS)
Marieke Flament, CEO, Mettle
Sophie Guibaud, Chief Growth Officer, OpenPayd
Gabrielle Haddad, Founder & COO, Sigma Ratings
Jess Houlgrave, Chief of Staff, Checkout.com
Caroline Hughes, CEO, Lifetise
Alison Hutchinson, CEO, Pennies
Marilena Ioannidou, Director, British Business Investments (BBI)
Bahea Izmenga, Chief Operations Officer, Greensill
Lisa Jacobs, Europe Managing Director, Funding Circle
Seema Khinda Johnson, Co-founder & COO, Nuggets
Magdalena Krön, Rise Global FinTech Platform Director, Barclays
Lee Ann Lancaster, Chief Growth Officer, Mama Money / Chairperson, African Women in Fintech and Payments Southern Africa / Non Executive Board Member, 88 Business Collective
Geilan Malet-Bates, Founding Director, Plenitude
Felicia Meyerowitz Singh, CEO, Akoni Hub Limited
Roxana Mohammadian-Molina, Chief Strategy Officer, Blend Network
Zianah Muddu, Engagement Partner, Financial Technology Services Providers Association
Neeta Mundra, Banking Financial Services Evangelist, Salesforce
Thish Nadesan, Chief Operating Officer, Cleo AI
Elena Novokreshchenova, Executive Vice President, International Remitly
Louise O’Shea, CEO, Confused.com
Diana Paredes, Co-Founder and CEO, Suade Labs
Erin Platts, Head of EMEA & UK President, Silicon Valley Bank
Loral Quinn, CEO and Co-founder, Sustainability
Misha Rao, Global FinTech Advisor, Shearman & Sterling / Founder, Haus of FinTech
Sonal Rattan, CTO and Co-Founder, eXate
Clare Reilly, Chief Engagement Officer, PensionBee
Samantha Seaton, CEO, Moneyhub
Sneha Shah, Managing Director Business Accelerator, Refinitiv
Joanne Smith, Founder and Executive Chair, Recordsure Ltd and TCC Ltd
Gaye Soykok, CPO, Pension the Pennies
Ruth Spratt, Senior Director, Zip
CJ Tayeh, Founder & CEO, Flank Digital
Tiffany Teng, Head of Sales Operations, OakNorth
Davinia Tomlinson, Founder, Rainchq
Michelle Tran, Co-Founder, NYC FinTech Women
Valeria Vahorovska, Co-Founder and CEO, Fondy
Tanya Van, Court CEO, Goalsetter
Dr Ruth Wandhofer, Fintech leader, VC Partner, Chair and expert in the field of banking, regulation and transaction banking
Jemma Waters, Head of Responsible Transformation, Lloyds Banking Group
Natasha Wear, P2P CEO, Zopa
Stacie Whisonant, CEO and Founder, Pay Your Tuition Inc.
Sarah Williams-Gardener, CEO, FinTech Wales
Waki Yoneoka, Managing Director, Japan Moneythor
Gemma Young, Founder, Women of FinTech
Rising Stars
Dedicated to Catherine Wines.
From relative newbies determined to make their mark as a future FinTech leader or a role models for the industry, they have hit the ground running and gone beyond their job description. Their contributions to successful projects, innovative ideas and other standout achievements has set them apart.
Mary Agbesanwa, PwC Fintech Scale Programme Lead, PwC
Naomi Alexander Naidoo, Head of Community and Communications, Finance Innovation Lab
Tania Asimionesei, Senior Front End Engineer, Checkout.com
Thaslima Begum, Founder & CEO, TEEK TAKA
Ariane Bouche, Founding team – sales and partnerships, StepEx
Claire Devilard, Product Manager, Salary Finance
Hannah Forbes, Founder, The Funding Crowd
Arianna Gasparri, Financial Inclusion Specialist, United Nations Capital Development Fund
Louise Harvey, Senior Associate, Seedrs
Rachel James, Manager Future of Financial Market Infrastructure Policy, Bank of England
Rebecca Jones, Customer Delivery and Strategic Account Manager, Trade Ledger
Clare Joy, Senior Strategy and Expansion Manager, Onfido
Leena Kalani, Senior Consultant, Cognizant
Roisin Levine, Head of Banks, Flux
Nina Mohanty, Strategy & Expansion at Klarna / Steering committee at Refugee Action Network, Klarna
Veronika Ostreyko, Commercial and Strategy Manager, Funding Circle
Gabriela Piccone, Co-Founder, SlightPay
Claudia Pravettoni, Product Growth Specialist, Oval
Monica Punjabi, Chief Operating Officer, Finllect Ltd.
Eishel Quinn, Chief Product Officer and co-founder, Sustainability
Tamara Quinn, Operations Manager, Salary Finance
Rituja Rao, IT Consultant – Project Manager Sparta, Global
Carolina Serra, Senior Manager – New Ventures Group, Visa
Luvleen Sidhu, Co-Founder and CEO, BankMobile
Rosie Turner, Co CEO, InChorus
Shaketa Welch, KYC Team Lead – London, Tide
Professional & Financial Services
Professional and financial service professionals that are championing FinTech within their respective teams. They are the inhouse specialist, the go-to for the latest in FinTech trends and an influential voice on sector innovations and diversity in finance.
Kate Bohn, Accelerator & Incubator Lead, Lloyds Banking Group
Louise Brett, Partner & Head of FinTech and Financial Services Innovation, Deloitte
Martyna Budzynska, Senior Legal Counsel, Tide
Betty Encinales, Mentor, Fintipay Becruit
Annette Evans, VP People & Culture, Global Processing Services (GPS)
Seema Farazi, Partner, EY LLP
Laura Farnworth, General Counsel, Atom Bank
Fiona Ghosh, Head of Fintech Partner, Addleshaw Goddard LLP
Jacqui Hatfield, Partner, Head of Financial Services Regulatory, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (UK) LLP
Yasmin Johal, Associate, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Rachel Kent, Partner, Hogan Lovells
Anita Kimber, Partner, Transformation Leader, EY
Sharon Lewis, Global Head of Financial Institutions and Insurance, Hogan Lovells
Yuelin Li, VP Strategy, Onfido
Rita Martins, FinTech Partnerships Lead, HSBC
Sue McLean, Partner, Baker McKenzie
Donna Parisi, Partner and Global Head of Financial Services and FinTech, Shearman & Sterling LLP
Mireia Reyes, Mas HR Manager, Smart Pension
Sophie Theen, Chief People & Customer Operations Officer, Oakam
Feven Woldu, Global Bank Transformation, SVP, Wells Fargo
Technology Professionals
These ladies are striving to make a contribution in the heart of the Tech part of FinTech. From designing or implementing complex software packages, to making a really innovative contribution to their firm’s systems or processes, they are taking technology to the next level.
Marwa Adawy, Technology Lead, Yielders
Jen Anderson, Chief Technology Officer, incuto
Ruth Anderson, Head of Lending, Starling Bank
Ashlea Atigolo, Co-founder, INATIGO
Theresa Bercich, Head of Product Management, Lucinity
Kerstin Gleie, Director Digital Products Architect Lead, Visa
Lisa Grahame, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Global Processing Services (GPS)
Sophie Hamilton, User Experience Designer, NatWest
Tara Hofton, Software Engineering Manager, Aire
Sharon Kean, Senior Product Director, and Head of International Expansion, Wise
Anna Maria Ksiezopolska, Head of Data Science, InCube
Swati Lay, CTO, Funding Circle
Michelle (Seng Ah) Lee, AI Ethics Lead, Deloitte UK
Alejandra M. J. Litterio, Chief Research Officer and Co-founder, Eye Capital Ltd.
Svetla Marinova, Partner Development Manager, Amazon Web Services
Ashleigh Petrie, Head of Product, Moneybox
Nicole Pilsworth, Engineer, Starling Bank
Isabel Pitt, Lab Product Owner – Payments & e+ Delegated NPO, Lloyds Banking Group
Amanda Pun, Product Manager, Homeppl
Manu Sood, Head of Engineering, Salt Lake City Varo Bank
Teresa Wu, Head of Android Engineering, Tide
Policymakers & Regulatory Experts
FinTech is growing up and with adulthood comes responsibility! We are celebrating the women in regulation, government affairs and policy, who play a vital role in encouraging innovation.
Yasmeen Al Sharaf, Head of FinTech & Innovation Unit, Central Bank of Bahrain
Sophia Bantanidis, Head of regulatory strategy and policy Citi TTS innovation lab, Citibank
Jo Ann Barefoot, CoFounder and CEO, Alliance for Innovative Regulation
Sholthana Begum, Senior Manager, Regtech, Bank of England Bank of England
Jessica Bilcock, Public Policy and Vulnerability Manager, Monzo
Kat Cloud, UK Policy Lead, Plaid
Franscesca Dowling, Head of Compliance, Amaiz
Jennifer Duncan, Vice President – Government Innovation, Mastercard
Meryem Duygun, Professor, Aviva Chair in Risk and Insurance, University of Nottingham
Ana Isabel Gallego, Government and industry affairs manager, London Stock Exchange Group.
Jasmin Harper, Policy & Engagement Advisor, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Francesca Hopwood, Road Head of RegTech & Advanced Analytics, Financial Conduct Authority
Joanna Jenkins International Compliance Director in Growth & New Markets Railsbank
Cordelia Kafetz Head of Financial Risk Starling Bank
Natalie Ledward Head of Vulnerability Monzo
Olivia-Kelly LONKEU Policy Analyst, Digital Finance United Nations Capital Development Fund
Lynn McConnell Compliance Head UK Binance Markets Limited
Suchitra Nair Director Deloitte LLP
Marloes Nicholls, Head of Programmes Finance Innovation Lab
Victoria Roberts, Director of Fintech Delivery Panel, Tech Nation
Nicole Sandler, Head of Digital Policy, Barclays
Catherine Walpole, Head of Financial Crime Strategy, Starling Bank
Investors
Playing a key role in changing the current funding environment for women founders and entrepreneurs, these ladies are encouraging companies to take their innovative ideas to the next stage.
Smita Aggarwal, Global Investments Advisor, Flourish Ventures
Yvonne Bajela, Principal and founding member, Impact X capital
Paula Blazquez, Solano Head of Investments InnoCells, Bank Sabadell
Monica Brand Engel, Founder/Partner, Quona Capital
Pauline Brunel, Investment Manager, Blackfin Tech
Briehan Burke, Principal, Keen Venture Partners
Jennifer Byrne, CEO & Co-Founder, Quesnay Inc.
Elizabeth Davis, Investor, Anthemis Group
Isabelle Gallo, Partner, Breega
Tricia Kemp, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Oak HC/FT
Tricia Kemp, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Oak HC/FT
Ellen Logan, Associate, Augmentum Fintech
Cecilia Lundborg, Senior Associate, Hedosophia
Peggy Mangot, Operating Partner, PayPal Ventures
Laviva Mazhar, Investment Associate, Luge Capital
Gloria Monfrini, Venture Partner, Redbus
Emily Morse, Principal, Actis Capital
Deepali Nangia, Venture Partner, Cosmic and Co
Lois Ollerenshaw, Venture Partner, Nationwide Building Society
Katie Palencsar, Investor, Venture Studio Lead, Anthemis
Kristina Söderberg, Investment Manager SEB, AB
Emma Steele, Investment Director, Ascension Ventures
Angela Strange, General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
Kristy Trieste, Chief Financial Officer, Motive Partners
Katherine Wilson, Venture Investor, Illuminate Financial
Sophie Winwood, Investor, Anthemis Group
Marketers & Communicators
From commanding the authoritative voice of their organisation, to sharing key insights that go beyond traditional media, these women play an important role in showcasing the value of FinTech to the world.
Jag Chana, Head of Marketing, EY
Nicola Cowburn, Director & RegTech/RiskTech Champion, Finarama Marketing
Nim Haas, Co-founder & Director, TechFuse
Georgia Hanias, Founder, Ecology Media
Georgie Hazell, Head of Engagement, Augmentum Fintech plc
Lucy Heavens, Marketing Director, Wealth Dynamix
Natasha Jones, Head of Communications & Policy, Funding Circle
Sarah Kocianski, Head of Research, 11:FS
Lisa Leid, Head of Communications, Fractal Labs
Emily Nicolle, Fintech Correspondent, Dow Jones
Odette Maher, Head of Global Communications, Symphony Communication Services
Madhvi Mavadiya, Head of Content, Finextra
Filippa Noghani Sr, Director of Marketing and Communications, Banking and Chair, Marketing Virtusa and NYC Fintech Women
Payal Raina, Founder, FinTech B2B Marketing
Erin Renzas, SVP Marketing, Checkout.com
Katy Ringsdore, Head of Media Relations, LOQBOX Savings Limited
Tina Valand, Partnerships Director, Encompass Corporation
Charlotte Wilkinson, Creative Director, Zopa
Laurel Wolfe, VP Marketing, Mambu
Angela Yore,
Managing Director & Co Founder, Sky Parlour
Judges
Innovate Finance called on the FinTech ecosystem to nominate and submit applications and received nearly 1000 responses, highlighting that there is certainly no lack of female talent within the sector! Getting the Powerlist down to 165 females, and selecting the Standout 35 is never an easy job. We are grateful to our independent external support, and to our judges to help us make that final selection. All the inspiring women profiled on the Powerlist 2020’s Standout 35 Stars were selected by our esteemed panel of judges. All the inspiring women profiled on the Powerlist 2020’s Standout 35 Stars were selected by our esteemed panel of judges, from equality champions to industry leaders.
Become a Sponsor of the Women in FinTech Initiative
Innovate Finance has a number of opportunities to work with partners to deliver the Women in FinTech Initiative. Get in touch and learn more about becoming a sponsor.
