FinTech-Tables

✨ Insights from the First FinSec Leadership Forum of 2025 ✨ With DORA now in effect, financial institutions are moving beyond preparation and into execution. The first FinSec Leadership Forum roundtable of the year gathered senior leaders from Virgin Money, Barclays, Vialex, NCC Group, and more to examine the challenges and opportunities ahead. Key themes from the discussion: ✅ Governance gaps remain. Without clear accountability, resilience efforts stall. ✅ Third-party risk requires more scrutiny. Too many firms are missing critical weak points in their supply chain. ✅ Tech investments are outpacing readiness. Tools are being adopted without the right data structures in place. ✅ Collaboration isn’t automatic. There’s appetite for stronger partnerships, but practical barriers still exist. Scott Moncur, Head of Financial Services Vialex, put it plainly: "We can’t pretend that it’s going right. We have to know that it’s going right." The full report outlines what’s working, where firms are falling short, and how industry leaders are adapting in real time. 💭 We’d love to hear your thoughts. What’s the biggest challenge your organisation faces in aligning compliance with operational resilience? Drop a comment below or reach out directly. #FinSecForum #DORA #FinancialResilience #SecurityLeadership #OperationalRisk #FinSecForum #DORA #FinancialResilience #SecurityLeadership #OperationalRisk Nicola Cooper Elaine McKechnie Daniel Neal .Richard Grey (CISSP®) Steven Ross Devraj Basu Pardeep Cassells Scott Moncur Paul Drummond Thabo Banda CISSP, CCSP, MSc Joanna Wands Oscar Neill Gillian Benge Stuart Greig Mick Barry Sarah Sinclair Melvyn Dillon Simon Rycroft Michael Young Barbara Gottardi

Next week we will be joined by Head of Innovation at the Financial Conduct Authority, Colin Payne and Devraj Basu from the University of Strathclyde as they open discussions at the Inaugural Roundtable meeting of the RegTech Leadership Forum. Joined by a range of regulatory and compliance leaders in financial services, RegTech innovations and ecosystem enablers, we will be considering the emerging regulatory landscape from a UK context, highlighting challenges and opportunities for innovation, followed by an enhanced focus RegTech by Design and demand led innovation. During the group discussion we will be tackling the core challenges facing the financial services industry in relation to regulation, compliance and the adoption of RegTech solutions. A huge thanks to Scott Moncur at Vialex for your vision and support in developing this Forum and to our wider ecosystem of supporters who are enabling these sessions and supporting future plans to accelerate collaboration in this space Michael Young MBN Solutions Co-Labs Global Sarah Sinclair Finbridge Global Barbara Gottardi Mick Barry Dr Mick O'Connor CEng CDir Rachael Greaves Nadeem Shakoor Nicola Cooper Paul Drummond Lauren Cassells Pardeep Cassells Robert McKechnie Keith Anderson Melissa Corkhill Nathalie Cutting Andy Thornley Kate Hunter #regtech #collaboration #adoption #financialservices

IBM’s latest report signals a definitive shift: AI is no longer an experimental tool in #banking, it is the structural backbone of financial #security, #risk management, and operational #resilience. For institutions still weighing AI’s strategic role, the message is clear: the competitive gap is widening. Those with the foresight to integrate AI across #governance, #compliance, and decision-making will set the standard. Key Insights for Financial Security Leaders: 📌 The Fragmentation of Performance Financial institutions are no longer moving in tandem. The divergence is stark, banks with modular AI architectures, embedded risk intelligence, and adaptive regulatory frameworks are pulling ahead. Others, constrained by legacy systems and reactive governance, are struggling to keep pace. 📌 Risk and Reward: The CEO Dilemma IBM reports that 60% of banking CEOs acknowledge that scaling AI requires a willingness to take on significant risk. This isn’t about speculative adoption, it’s about the precision application of AI in fraud detection, compliance automation, and cyber resilience. The banks that grasp this will define the next era of financial security. 📌 Generative AI Moves from Hype to Infrastructure In 2024, only 8% of banks had a structured approach to generative AI, the majority approached it tactically, if at all. That will not hold. The sector is moving beyond pilots into AI-driven real-time anomaly detection, regulatory intelligence, and decision support. But without a disciplined risk culture, AI will introduce vulnerabilities as quickly as it mitigates them. 📌 Risk Management Must Become an AI Discipline Banks are data institutions at their core, but governing AI-driven data use is where the real challenge begins. The industry is on the cusp of requiring every financial professional to be an AI risk manager, ensuring model integrity, bias mitigation, and regulatory alignment at scale. Without this, AI becomes a systemic liability rather than a strategic asset. _______________________________________________________________ 🦾 What Defines the Institutions That Will Lead? IBM’s findings make it clear: governance, scalability, and strategic foresight will determine which banks emerge as leaders. The key priorities: ✅ AI-integrated risk frameworks that evolve alongside financial crime tactics ✅ Real-time monitoring and anomaly detection, not as an add-on, but as standard practice ✅ Technical and operational alignment, ensuring AI works within, rather than against, core banking functions ✅ Data governance as a frontline issue, regulatory scrutiny will increase, and those unprepared will face severe consequences The institutions that lead will be the ones that embed AI not as a tool, but as an operational imperative. #FinSec #AI #RiskGovernance #FinancialSecurity

Next up on the Human Side ... Samantha Ryan from Virgin Money What a wonderful conversation it was ... ✨ You can tell straight away, she’s purpose-driven, with people firmly at the core of her role. What struck me most? Her empathy. Not just for those caught up in scams and security threats, but for the everyday person just trying to get through their workday without feeling like cybersecurity is a constant barrier. She’s here to make security something people can engage with, rather than something they feel they have to work around. A wonderful human, doing a wonderful job! ✨ #cybersecurity #FinTech #people #culture #humanside

It's just two weeks until the launch of our RegTech Leadership Forum. Here is everything you need to know.... -The Forum has been developed in partnership with Vialex with early support for the first session from a range of organisations including University of Strathclyde, Co.Labs, HAELO, Castlepoint Systems, Barclays, Equifax, Sainsbury's Bank, Zumo, Lloyds Banking Group ESG Disclose, Capital Credit Union UK, MBN Solutions Finbridge Global and more. -During this first session we will review the current and emerging regulatory landscape, with consideration of challenges relating to the volume and complexity of regulation, frequency of change, integration of frameworks, policy and organisational adaptation. -We will discuss what opportunities and advantages can be derived from the utilisation of technology and data and how they can enable innovation and growth through this space. -We will hear from Colin Payne, Head of Innovation at the Financial Conduct Authority who will open Forum discussions with an outline of the emerging regulatory landscape from a UK context, considering the need to balance regulated environments with the need for innovation and growth. -This will be followed by a keynote from a close friend of FinTech-Tables, Devraj Basu who will discuss 'RegTech by Design: A Scottish perspective' -We will then follow with an open group discussion taking a deeper dive into the regulatory challenges facing financial organisations in the room, the barriers they are facing when it comes to RegTech adoption and utilisation, and approaches to breaking these down. -Anyone wishing to join the Forum, to receive regular updates, reports and opportunities to engage within the ecosystem, can do so by following the link the comments. We cannot wait to get everyone together and start on this exciting journey together. Scott Moncur Keith Anderson Dr Mick O'Connor CEng CDir Joanne Seagrave Nathalie Cutting Carolanne MacDonald Melvyn Dillon Nicola Cooper Nadeem Shakoor Melissa Corkhill Kent Mackenzie Helen Krushave Stuart Greig Amy Paterson Robert McKechnie Gillian Benge Barbara Gottardi Sarah Sinclair Mick Barry Andy Thornley Anj Chadha 安-杰 Michael Young #financialservices #regtech #innovation #collaboration

What a day at Barclays Eagle Labs! Laughter, insights, and a touch of mischief …. just the way we like it. A huge thanks to Dr Mick O'Connor CEng CDir and Samantha Ryan for being absolute naturals in the hot seat. Their interviews will be live soon, and trust me, they’re worth the wait. We also had a cracking strategy session with Michael Young, plotting out big moves for 2025. Watch this space—things are getting interesting. ✨ #Innovation #Leadership #FutureofFinance #Strategy #DigitalTransformation #FinancialServices #Networking #Growth #Startups #fintech #thehumanside

Happy Friday to our growing community, sending 💙 your way 💫 It’s been a busy week at this end as we gear up for the launch of our #RegTech Forum, more on that next week! We’re excited to welcome this newest addition to the Forum family and the conversations it will spark. Next week, we’ll be at Barclays Eagle Labs joined by the brilliant Dr Mick O'Connor CEng CDir (HAELO) and Samantha Ryan (Virgin Money) who will be sharing their perspectives on #leadership, the human experience, and their own journeys. It’s such a joy to work with awesome people! We’re also opening up opportunities to be part of our Human Series, a space dedicated to showcasing the incredible people shaping this industry and the meaningful work they do. If you’d like to share your story, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to slide into our DMs 🤣 Wishing you all a great weekend! ✨ #FinTechCommunity #RegTech #FinTechTables #HumanSeries #Leadership #IndustryVoices #TechForGood

aizle.ai, developed by Edinburgh’s Smart Data Foundry, has extended its partnership with the Financial Conduct Authority until September 2025 ⚡ aizle.ai’s datasets have already played a crucial role in FCA initiatives, including the Green FinTech Challenge and the APP Fraud TechSprint. Its APP Fraud dataset, a foundation of the FCA #Innovation Platform, has been accessed over 111,000 times, supporting critical projects tackling financial crime. With this renewed agreement, aizle.ai expands its synthetic data portfolio, providing richer insights into employment, income, and financial vulnerabilities. Enhanced datasets on lending products will also support firms in meeting Consumer Duty regulations, driving better financial outcomes. The FCA will be the first to utilise aizle.ai 2.0, a new platform enabling tailored experimentation and research. Matt Lowe, Innovation Lab Manager at the FCA, welcomed the continued partnership, highlighting the regulator’s commitment to leveraging synthetic data to support industry-wide advancements and safeguard consumers. Collaborations that push financial services towards greater security, transparency, and innovation? We're here for it! #FinTechInnovation #FinancialSecurity #RegTech #ConsumerProtection #FraudPrevention #SyntheticData #AIinFinance #DataDriven #ResponsibleAI

A major milestone for one of our own ✨ Dr Mick O'Connor CEng CDir, a founding member of our #RegTech Forum and a trusted voice in regulatory technology, has unveiled #REGENESIS, a new frontier in regulatory horizon scanning for financial services. Regulatory updates now emerge every seven minutes!! For #compliance teams already stretched thin, traditional monitoring methods are unsustainable. REGENESIS consolidates regulatory intelligence from multiple sources, automating the tracking and interpretation of updates to deliver precise, actionable insights for compliance teams. Clever! 🥸 Developed through the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab (FRIL) and refined in partnership with Tesco Bank, this launch represents a decisive shift in how financial institutions manage compliance, moving from exhaustive manual tracking to a more #strategic, intelligence-led approach. Mick, we’re incredibly proud of what you’ve built, an innovation that doesn’t just keep pace with regulatory change, but redefines how the industry engages with it 👏 For those in financial services, HAELO is offering a complementary three-month trial, a rare opportunity to put it through its paces 🤩 📩 Let’s Chat | HAELO.io #RegTech #FinancialServices #ComplianceInnovation #REGENESIS #FinTechTables

ESG360°, the London-based FinTech specialising in AI-driven #ESG automation, has chosen Glasgow as the base for its next growth phase. Backed by a £1 million grant from Scottish Enterprise 👏 the move will generate over 30 high-value jobs, further embedding #Scotland within the global conversation on financial #innovation and sustainability-driven #governance. This expansion is no mere corporate relocation; it is a calculated response to the accelerating #regulatory demands around ESG reporting. The UK’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) are redefining the contours of corporate accountability, forcing firms to navigate an increasingly intricate regulatory topography. ESG360°’s AI-powered platform promises precisely that, automating data governance, eliminating inefficiencies, and transforming ESG #metrics into strategic levers for business value. The arrival of ESG360° strengthens Glasgow’s standing as a centre for #sustainable finance, deepening the interplay between technological capability, financial infrastructure, and regulatory adaptation. To ESG360°, welcome to Scotland. You’re joining a #dynamic, #ambitious FinTech ecosystem. One that understands that the future of finance isn’t just digital, but responsible. ✨ #FinTechInnovation #SustainableFinance #ESGTech #AIforGood #ResponsibleFinance #ESGReporting #ESGCompliance #FinanceForTheFuture