FINTECHNORTH
EVENTS
Manchester Conference 2025
November 25th, 9:00am
Whitworth Hall
FinTech North is excited to announce our return to the heart of Manchester for our 2025 conference, hosted in partnership with headline sponsors OakNorth, brand sponsors, Pulsant, Mastercard, Cyber Alchemy, Attenda, Intercash, Barclays and RSM, venue sponsors University of Manchester, ecosystem partners, Bruntwood SciTech and exhibition sponsors, MERJE!
Manchester has excelled over time in developing a rich culture, history and impact, which has been admired for decades. Today, Manchester is home to some the largest regional financial, regional and business sectors outside of London. Leading in sub-sectors including banking, payments, e-commerce and cyber security, Manchester’s significance in the FinTech sector cannot be understated, setting a powerful foundation for long-lasting and fruitful infrastructure in the North.
FinTech once again returns to Whitworth Hall at the University of Manchester, a powerhouse of innovation and industry, blanketed in an environment of collaboration and creation. This iconic venue represents the city’s drive for improvement, demonstrated in its modern Fintech ecosystem. A thriving hub rooted in academia, research and all things invention.
FinTech North aims to foster this ecosystem by bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, financial institutions and policy makers to the Fintech North Manchester Conference 2025, to showcase the city’s growing impact on the wider national FinTech ecosystem.
Join us as we cover a variety of topics that highlight the region’s expertise, including:
⚡ Northern FinTech innovation ⚡
💡 Regulation as a catalyst for trust and competitiveness 💡
🔐 Fraud, resilience and financial crime in a changing landscape 🔐
💸 The future of payments, open banking and embedded finance 💸
👩💼 Women in FinTech driving inclusive leadership 👩💼
Following the conference, join us for our evening social in central Manchester to celebrate the region’s ecosystem and innovation and continue to build on the connections made on the day.
We’re excited to announce more about our agenda and speakers soon. Please reach out to us at info@fintechnorth.uk for more information on opportunities to collaborate.
Event Schedule
Breakfast & Registration
Welcome from FinTech North
Delivered by Joe Roche, General Manager, FinTech North
Welcome from our Hosts: The University of Manchester
Delivered by Professor Markos Zachariadis, Founding Director, Centre for Financial Technology Studies (CFTS), University of Manchester
The Chris Sier Welcome Address
Delivered by Julian Wells, Director, Whitecap Consulting
Staying Ahead: The North’s FinTech Outlook and the Road to Leadership
• Stewart Haworth, Senior Director, Debt Finance, OakNorth
• Rachel Kenyon, Business Engagement Manager, University of Manchester
• Gemma Daros, Head of Acquiring, FinTech and Public Sector Services – UK&I, Mastercard
• Ashish Sandhu, Co-founder, Scholar Saver
• Moderator: Julian Wells, Director, Whitecap Consulting
From Compliance to Catalyst: Regulation as a Driver of Innovation
Delivered by Laura Dawes, Head of Authorisations, FCA
Are you the weakest link? - Why Supply Chains Are FinTech’s Soft Underbelly
Delivered by Ali Malik, Partner & Co-founder, Cyber Alchemy
Comfort Break
Critical Risk: Why FinTech Must Evolve Data Governance To Defend Against Fraud and Financial Crime
• Mike Hoy, CTO, Pulsant
• Erin Sims, Director, RSM
Moderated by Clare Black, COO, CFIT
The Bank of England’s Digital Pound Lab
Delivered by Simon Scorer, Deputy Head of Digital Currency Technology, Bank of England
Banking on Progress: Collaboration and Risk in the evolving financial landscape
• Luis Hernandez, Associate Director, S&W
• Darren Earnshaw, Technology Director, Next Generation Consumer Banking, Barclays
• Moderated by Ellie Kirkman, Agency Manager, Started PR
Lunch
An Update from Innovate Finance: Challenges and Opportunities for the Year Ahead
Delivered by Peter Cunnane, Director of International & Partnerships, Innovate Finance
The Northern Hive: Powering Payments Innovation
• Abi Bryant Spolar, Director of Partnership Management Europe, Circle
• Amy Whitell, CEO, Collctiv
• Lawrence Byers, Senior Product Manager, Acquired.com
• Sher Khanagha, CEO & Founder, Frontier Pay
• Andrew Buckley, Professor, University of Manchester
Moderated by Anna Chandler, Fractional Marketing Leader & Growth Advisor
The State of Mobility Payments - through the consumer lens
Delivered by Steve Hoban, CEO, Attenda
Commercial VRPs and the Next Phase of Open Banking Innovation
Delivered by Josh Cowen, Partnerships & Key Account Manager, tell.money
Networking break
Building Inclusive FinTech Ecosystems: Collaboration and Collective Action
• Chloe Fox-Robertson, Researcher, University of Manchester
• Kasia Dutch, Software Engineer, Starling Bank
• Suz Ferreira, Founder, Proper Financial Coaching
Moderated by Katherine Megson, Head of Innovation & Growth, Bruntwood SciTech
Female-led Innovation in the North West - Showcase
Vipashyana Srivastava, Co-founder, Scholar Saver
Ernestina Zhu, University of Manchester
Divya Jyoti, Sales Manager Gemba
Closing remarks, event to close
Evening Social
Gorilla
54-56 Whitworth St
Manchester
M1 5WW
