Agenda

1:30PM

Welcome Coffee & Networking

• Guest registration
• Coffee, tea and pastries on arrival

2:00 PM

Conference Opening

Susanne Chishti, Chair, FINTECH Circle

• Why the FINTECH Circle Board Programme exists
• The case for more UK unicorns, and more ambitious Chairs and NEDs who add real value
• FINTECH Circle research: what fintech CEOs want and need from their boards

2:15PM

Keynote 1: UK Fintech Sector and M&A Trends

TBC, Financial Services M&A & UK Head of Fintech, Deloitte

• Overview of the UK fintech sector
• M&A activity trends across UK fintech, with latest research and insights
• The board's role in making M&A successful

2:30PM

Keynote 2: The Growth Mindset Board — From Compliance Function to Strategic Accelerator

Charles McManus, Co-Founder & Board Director, ClearBank

• Reframing the NED role: from oversight to active value creation and growth catalyst
• What Fintech CEOs need from their Chairs and Boards — and the gap that still exists today
• How a Growth mindset and diverse board composition can complement the oversight, compliance and regulatory agenda to accelerate Growth, Innovation and International Expansion.

2:30 – 3:15PM

Panel 1: Scaling Across Borders — What It Really Takes to Build a Global Fintech

Chair: Kate Grussing CBE, Managing Director, Sapphire Partners. Panellists: Ann Cairns, Chair, CAB Payments PLC; Mike Walters, Co-Founder & CEO, Form3 and Jessica Winter, Chief Legal OIfficer at Wise PLC.

• Market prioritisation: how to decide where to expand first, and how boards can support that decision
• Regulatory navigation across the US, EU, Asia and the Middle East
• Lessons from UK fintechs that became global leaders, and the board decisions that enabled it

3:15 – 3:45PM

Coffee Break

3:45 – 4:30pm

Panel 2: Changing Requirements on Headhunters — Board Hiring Trends Across Financial Services & Technology

Chair: Graham Durgan, Chair, NED Association and Audeliss. Panel: Lisa Mazza (Teneo), Deborah Cooper (Miles Advisory), Julia Fearn (Warren Partners), Tory Hyndman (Sainty Hird & Partners), Richard Edmondson (Norman Broadbent Plc)

• How the ideal NED profile has shifted in the AI era
• Which skill sets are becoming less relevant
• How headhunters assess and place board-ready talent amid a rise in AI-generated CVs

4:30 – 5:00pm

Panel 3: Managing Human & AI Intelligence at Board Level

Chair: Khurram Hussain, Partner, Warren Partners. Panel: Dr Leda Glyptis (Chair, Bourn), Richard Davies (CEO, Allica Bank), Simon Rabin (Founder & CEO, Chip).

• Board-level AI literacy: the right questions for Chairs and NEDs to ask in 2027 and beyond
• Regulatory accountability in a changing landscape
• Governing innovation responsibly at scale

5:00pm

FireSide Chat: What Makes a World-Class Board in Fintech?

Fireside Chat with Patrick Dunne OBE, Author of "Boards" and Susanne Chishti, Chair FINTECH Circle

• How can UK & European fintech companies become world leading? How can baords add most value to high growth tech companies?

5:15pm

Closing Remarks & Book Signing

• Book signing: "Boards" by Patrick Dunne OBE

5:30 – 6:30pm

Networking Drinks & Canapés

6:30pm

Close