Explore every episode of the podcast Searching for Mana with Lloyd Wahed
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lily Liu, President of Solana Foundation | How Blockchain Enables the Financialisation of Scarcity | 28 Oct 2024 | 01:11:56 | |
In this episode of Searching for Mana, Lloyd Wahed meets with Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation, to unpack her journey from an early fascination with Bitcoin to leading one of blockchain’s most groundbreaking ecosystems. With her expertise spanning traditional finance and digital assets, Lily provides a rare, balanced view of where blockchain is heading and how Solana is advancing the technology’s global impact. Discover Solana's evolution from a fledgling network to a blockchain powerhouse, overcoming hurdles like the FTX crash while cultivating a vibrant community and ecosystem with over $5 billion in TVL. Lily’s perspectives on self-custody, economic sovereignty, and user-first blockchain products are a must for anyone following the evolution of digital assets. Don't miss this episode for a glimpse into crypto’s future, the challenges and promise of blockchain, and the unique strength of the Solana community.
Solana website: https://solana.com/ Lily Liu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calilyliu/ Follow Searching For Mana to stay tuned into our latest episodes. Website: https://manasearch.co.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mana.search/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana1 👍 Like this episode and subscribe to this channel if our content helped and inspired you! | |||
| Robin Gilthorpe, CEO of Earnix | The AI-Driven Future of Insurance | 02 Oct 2024 | 00:40:35 | |
In this episode of Searching for Mana Fintech, co-hosts Dan and Sachin engage in a compelling conversation with Robin Gilthorpe, CEO of Earnix, a pioneering company providing AI-driven SaaS solutions for the financial and insurance sectors. Since its founding in 2001, Earnix has led innovation with dynamic tools that transform insurer operations, from risk evaluation to real-time pricing. The discussion explores strategies that have positioned Earnix as a key player in this evolving industry, covering global market expansion and complex regulatory environments. Robin shares insights on how Earnix’s technology enables insurers to launch products faster, make smarter pricing decisions, and stay competitive. He also addresses the challenges of global scaling and navigating diverse regulations. Tune in to discover the strategies positioning companies like Earnix at the forefront of industry advancements. Earnix website: https://earnix.com/ Robin Gilthorpe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingilthorpe/ Follow Searching For Mana to stay tuned into our latest episodes. Website: https://manasearch.co.uk/browse-jobs/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mana.search/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana1 👍 Like this episode and subscribe to this channel if our content helped and inspired you! | |||
| CEO & Founder of Root, Louw Hopley | Changing the Game in Insurance Technology | 04 Jan 2024 | 00:51:27 | |
In this new episode of Searching for Mana, we delve into the exciting world of insurance and cutting-edge technology. Led by our knowledgeable hosts Dan O'Riordan and Sachin Doshi, the discussion explores how the technical prowess of companies like Root is inspiring a new generation of insurance services.
Louw Hopley is the CEO and co-founder of Root, an end-to-end digital insurance platform that enables the launching of new products and digital engagement channels fast.
Root is based in Green Point, Cape Town, and Louw shares how this innovative company is redefining the industry not only in Africa, but in more places of the globe, such as the UK. He also shares his experience in creating cultural values and adapting them as the business scales up at a rapidly changing speed.
❓Curious about Louw Hopley and Root? Dive deep into their ideas here:
Louw Hopley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louwhopley/
Root: https://rootplatform.com
Follow Searching For Mana to stay tuned into our latest episodes.
Website: https://manasearch.co.uk/browse-jobs/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mana.search/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana1
✍️ We'd love to hear your thoughts! Drop us a comment with your opinion, experiences, and questions – we would love to bring them to our future episodes!
👍 Like this episode and subscribe to this channel if our content helped and inspired you! See you in our next episode!
| |||
| Innovation delivered | Lukasz Marczyk, Accenture | 16 Feb 2021 | 00:44:23 | |
This week, Mana Labs co-founder Mimi Nguyen speaks with Lukasz Marczyk from Accenture's Warsaw office. As an innovation leader and part of Accenture's leadership team in Poland, Lukasz discusses his experience within innovation management and his journey towards becoming Managing Director and Partner at Accenture. This episode also does a deep dive into the rise of insurtech and the current innovative trends of the industry. Lukasz tells Mimi about the company’s game-changing work on cloud, automation and robotics, why management consulting needs to incorporate design thinking and why talent is the main asset of any company. Plus, he fills us in on why excelling in leadership skills at Stanford University can help senior-level managers advance faster and collaborate better on innovation ideas. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn
Episode Highlights: 01:30: The Rise of insurtech 05:50: Design thinking in management consulting 13:20: Skillsets and the job market 18:15: Startups and their competitive advantage 22:38: Stanford University experience 35:29: Journey to becoming Managing Director at Accenture 37:45: Lukasz's Mana - the human side of a leader | |||
| Improving founders' mental health | Matus Maar, Talis Capital | 09 Feb 2021 | 00:55:41 | |
This week, Lloyd delves into entrepreneurship and mental health as he welcomes Talis Capital's Matus Maar. As Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Talis, Matus has overseen early-stage investments in such FinTech giants as Onfido, iwoca, PriceFX and many more. Talis is also a leader in mental health amongst VCs. Recently, the firm announced a new initiative that offers mental health support to founders at its portfolio companies. On this episode, Matus tells Lloyd why Talis is such an unconventional fund, why the company has focused largely on infrastructure investments, and why he avoids investments in consumer P2P lenders. Then they discuss the mental health burdens of founding a company, why support networks are critical and how the pandemic has affected employers' mental health. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn Learn more about Talis Capital's mental health initiative
Episode Highlights: 08:11: How Talis finds cutting edge infrastructure companies 16:12: Why Talis is an unconventional fund 19:15: What Matus loves about venture capital 25:12: Why Talis doesn't invest in consumer P2P lenders 31:46: The mental health burdens of starting a company 38:32: COVID-19 and mental health 46:40: Why success and unhealthy behaviour are not synonymous 50:09: Lloyd's advice for founders 54:10: The importance of self-care for founders | |||
| How Google nailed innovation in the mid-2000s | Vaughn Tan, University College London | 19 Jan 2021 | 00:43:52 | |
Mana Labs Co-Founder Mimi Nguyen is in the host's seat this week as she discusses product innovation with University College London's Vaughn Tan. And Vaughn has a unique perspective on the subject. In 2005, he joined Google as a Product Marketing Manager and later worked on projects such as AdWords and Google Maps. Since then, he's become a leading voice on innovation in the culinary sector, advising organisations like the Wellcome Collection and becoming an Assistant Professor at UCL. Mimi and Vaughn discuss how Vaughn joined Google without a computer science degree, the leadership skills he learned at Mountain View, and why restaurants are great models for innovation. Plus, Vaughn tells us what companies can learn from messenger RNA and how to embrace uncertainty when hiring. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn Check out Vaughn's new book, The Uncertainty Mindset
Episode Highlights: 05:24: The innovative way Google approached product 10:25: How to lead without institutional authority 14:20: How efficiency can be the enemy of success 19:00: Spurring creative collaboration in the age of remote working 23:15: Restaurants as biomes for innovation 27:24: The lessons FinTech companies can learn from kitchens 33:23: How to hire with an uncertainty mindset 40:36: The one trait that has helped Vaughn succeed 42:49: What's next for Vaughn | |||
| Blockchain investing: what you need to know | Andrea Bonaceto, Eterna Capital | 12 Jan 2021 | 00:44:51 | |
Eterna Capital Partner Andrea Bonaceto joins Lloyd to talk about blockchain investing. Since launching in 2018, Eterna has provided seed and early-stage funding to blockchain innovators like Algorand, Borderless Capital, DFINITY and more. Forbes has named it one of the top three boundary pushing blockchain investing firms, and Andrea has been named to the publication’s Top 30 Under 30 list. In their conversation, Andrea and Lloyd wonder whether blockchain will have the same revolutionary impact as the internet, identify the key trends that will shape the sector’s development and question how it will drive adoption of central bank digital currencies. Plus, Andrea outlines the industry's biggest hotspots and tells us why community-building is essential for blockchain investing firms. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn Check out the book Andrea mentions, Albert Wenger's World After Capital
Episode Highlights: 03:16: Why Eterna’s first fund focused heavily on blockchain infrastructure 09:13: Digital ownership and traceability: the key trends fueling Eterna’s second fund 14:07: How can blockchain fuel adoption of central bank digital currencies? 19:42: Why blockchain is philosophically inclined toward positive social change 22:06: What drew Andrea to the blockchain space 26:45: Do you need to live in San Francisco or London to work in blockchain? 32:02: The role of community-building in blockchain-related companies 38:47: Why Andrea avoids structured approaches to work | |||
| Best Of 2020 Part Two | Romi Savova, Zihao Xu, Alf Rehn, Christian Busch | 05 Jan 2021 | 00:27:17 | |
It was a big year for Searching for Mana, and that means one best-of show wasn’t enough. That’s right: we’re back with another edition of amazing clips from some of the most interesting people in FinTech and entrepreneurship. This week, we have tidbits from an additional roster of amazing guests: Romi Savova, (PensionBee), Zihao Xu (Octopus Ventures), Alf Rehn (University of Southern Denmark) and Christian Busch (NYU & World Economic Forum). Plus, Lloyd gives us the key take-aways from each chat and shares the most interesting things he learned from our guests. Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchuk Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/
Episode Highlights: 01:14: Romina Savova, PensionBee 05:41: Zihao Xu, Octopus Ventures 14:11: Alf Rehn, University of Southern Denmark 19:27: Christian Busch, Author of Serendipity Mindset, NYU & World Economic Forum | |||
| Best Of 2020 Part One | Conrad Ford, Joe Parkin, Ned Phillips, Adam French | 28 Dec 2020 | 00:25:07 | |
As 2020 draws to a close, we look back on some of the brightest moments from Searching for Mana over the past year. And what a line-up it is! Listen through for amazing conversations with FinTech luminaries such as Conrad Ford (Funding Options, Allica Bank), Joe Parkin (BlackRock), Ned Phillips (Bambu), Adam French (Scalable Capital) and Romi Savova (PensionBee). Plus, Lloyd discusses each guest and the unique insights they brought to the show. Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchuk Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/
Episode Highlights: 01:21: Conrad Ford, Founder of Funding Options 06:15: Joe Parkin, MD at BlackRock 11:53: Ned Phillips, Founder and CEO of Bambu 19:25: Adam French, Founder and CEO of Scalable Capital | |||
| Digital currencies: are they inevitable? | Andrzej Horoszczak, Billon | 22 Dec 2020 | 00:38:25 | |
Billon Co-Founder and CTO Andrzej Horoszczak joins Lloyd from Poland to discuss how DLT could lead to the advent of fully digital currencies. It’s an episode that touches on finance, technology and entrepreneurship, all of which are Andrzej’s specialties. After studying computer science and business in the US, Andrzej gained extensive experience as a portfolio manager, IT specialist and CEO. Each of those qualifications comes in handy with Billon, which uses DLT to streamline everything from back office solutions to digital currencies. To kick things off, Lloyd and Andrzej dive into the obstacles facing central bank digital currencies, whether there’s room for competition in the blockchain space and how Billon could allow banks to exchange coins more efficiently. Plus, they discuss Poland’s promising programming scene and discuss how blockchain and digital currencies will evolve over the next five years. Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchuk Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/
Episode Highlights: 01:45: Does crypto represent a Bolshevik-style revolution in finance? 07:02: Which obstacles stand in the way of central bank digital currencies? 12:04: Is blockchain a zero-sum game? 17:20: How Andrzej came to study in the US, and how the promise of blockchain changed his life 22:53: Why honesty is crucial for founding teams 27:25: How Billon is fundraising for its future 31:54: What reading history has taught Andrzej about failure 35:57: How will blockchain evolve over the next five years? | |||
| Can blockchain solve financial inclusion? | Morten Christorp Nielsen, Aryze | 15 Dec 2020 | 00:37:54 | |
Aryze CFO and Co-Founder Morten Christorp Nielsen joins Lloyd to discuss how digital assets have the potential to revolutionise financial inclusion. After starting his career with such vaunted names as JP Morgan and UBS, Morten turned his attention to socially responsible finance. That’s how he got involved with Aryze, which aims to leverage blockchain and DLT to take the cost out of moving money around the world. To kick off their conversation, Morten and Lloyd go through Aryze’s journey from its founding to its present day. They touch on the difficulties of transferring money internationally, why Aryze has adopted an ethos of corporate responsibility, and how tokenisation can reduce costs for end users. Plus, Morten shares how he became JP Morgan’s third most successful salesman worldwide and lets us in on how DLT will allow smaller financial organisations to gain a foothold in the industry. Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchuk Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/ | |||
| The right way to hire product managers | Ayman Jawhar, INSEAD and Rockwae | 08 Dec 2020 | 00:38:07 | |
Mana Labs Co-Founder Mimi Nguyen is in the host’s chair this week as she and Ayman Jawhar tell us how to hire product managers properly. And who better to ask than Ayman? With product experience at tech giants like PayPal and smaller firms like Hudl, he knows how to optimise product teams at companies of all sizes. And as a lecturer for INSEAD and a mentor at Seedcamp, he’s helping great start-ups hire product managers effectively. To kick off the episode, Ayman and Mimi talk about the future of product management, why companies need to build product-first cultures, and how employers can find the perfect product professional. Plus, they discuss how CEO and CPO roles overlap and why fintech is ahead of the game on product. Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchuk Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/
Episode Highlights: 05:27: Why traditional product management techniques are ineffective 12:15: The problem with how companies hire product managers 15:32: Why hiring a CPO is so daunting 21:08: When it comes to product, why is fintech ahead of the curve? 27:28: How INSEAD helped Ayman find a job at PayPal 29:55: Why product people need experience at big and small companies 35:00: How teaching helps Ayman strengthen his product knowledge | |||
| Will crypto end traditional finance? | Alex Mashinsky, Celsius Network | 01 Dec 2020 | 00:47:43 | |
We’ve got blockchain on the brain this week as serial founder Alex Mashinsky sits down with Lloyd to talk DeFi, crypto and so much more. As Founder and CEO of Arbinet, Alex made his name in the ‘90s as a pioneer of VOIP. From there, he went on to found eight more companies that raised a total of $1 billion in funds. Today, he runs Celsius Network, a P2P crypto lender that boasts more than $1 billion in deposits. In their wide-ranging conversation, Alex tells Lloyd why traditional finance is ripe for disruption and why he believes crypto will bring about that change. They also discuss why COVID will be a driver of new career opportunities, how Alex creates unusually successful companies and the forces that motivate Alex to constantly shake up established industries. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn
Episode Highlights: 02:11: The reason Alex wants to share Celsius’s yield with his customer base 11:00: The reasons traditional finance is ripe for disruption 16:34: Why Alex left a successful public company to start Celsius 21:37: How job creation will accelerate in the wake of COVID 24:33: The promising future of crypto 29:40: How Alex creates unusually successful start-ups 34:09: Why Alex feels so responsible to the Celsius community 39:44: How the best patents tell a story 44:25: Big predictions on the future of finance | |||
| Erik Voorhees, Private Investor | 20 Dec 2023 | 01:02:03 | |
On our last episode of 2023, we welcome Erik Voorhees! If you're a crypto believer, there's no doubt you have heard of Erik. His origins in the crypto space can be traced back to 2011 when he discovered Bitcoin from a Facebook post, and then to 2012 when he joined BitInstant LLC as Head of Marketing. Voorhees co-founded the Bitcoin company Coinapult and founded SatoshiDICE, which he later sold for 126,000 Bitcoin. Just months after the Mt. Gox hack in 2014, Erik launched the first non-custodial crypto exchange, ShapeShift. As Founder and CEO of ShapeShift, he led that to a successful exit for shareholders while also turning ShapeShift into a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) governed by its FOX token holders. He has been an outspoken libertarian and advocate for Bitcoin, talking openly about his concerns surrounding traditional monetary systems and taxation. He has been known to work with regulators on better understanding the decentralized financial system and improving the future of both TradFi and DeFi. He has been featured in the book Digital Gold and the Netflix documentary Banking on Bitcoin. He has publicly debated Peter Schiff, and Sam Bankman-Fried, and has been featured on Bloomberg, Fox Business, and numerous industry conferences. He has been interviewed by many crypto publications and podcasts - The Missing Link being one. This episode is a can't-miss! This podcast does not contain any financial or legal advice and you should not seek to rely on it as such. Opinions are the personal opinions of the speaker. The Missing Link is a podcast produced by Nayms, our partner in the Searching for Mana podcast. Nayms: https://nayms.com Mana: https://searchingformana.com Like this episode and subscribe to this channel if our content helped and inspired you! See you in our next episode! | |||
| How the best CEOs make their own luck | Christian Busch, NYU and World Economic Forum | 24 Nov 2020 | 00:46:49 | |
Luck is on your side this week as NYU and LSE faculty member Christian Busch joins Lloyd to discuss his new book, The Serendipity Mindset. The Director of NYU’s Global Economy Program, Christian has extensive experience with social entrepreneurship. He co-founded the Sandbox Network, a global hub for young innovators, and has advised companies like TED and Haier. And with The Serendipity Mindset, he’s exploring how the world’s best CEOs cultivate luck to gain a competitive edge. During their conversation, Christian tells Lloyd about the differences between smart and dumb luck, how to turn rejection into an opportunity, and why saying “no” can still leave you open to serendipity. Plus, they delve into the incident that sent Christian on an intense search for meeting and tackle unconscious bias in tech. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn Buy Christian’s book: The Serendipity Mindset Episode Highlights: 03:29: The Serendipity Mindset: how to attract smart luck 09:07: How to say “no” and still be open to opportunity 14:04: How to allow serendipitous connections to happen 20:28: Reframing: how to turn rejection into an opportunity 27:03: Why staying true to your north star ultimately helps you get ahead 31:18: The event that spurred Christian’s search for meaning 35:41: How can people network healthily online? 40:17: Combating unconscious biases in tech. 44:00: What’s next for Christian | |||
| Is innovation killing your company? | Alf Rehn, University of Southern Denmark | 17 Nov 2020 | 00:48:27 | |
It’s time to get innovative as Lloyd welcomes acclaimed writer and speaker Alf Rehn. From becoming the youngest university chair in Finland to serving as a chairman to a Gold Lion-winning ad agency, Alf has led a vast and varied career. Today, he’s a professor of innovation, design and management at the University of Southern Denmark and the author of Innovation for the Fatigued: How to Build a Culture of Deep Creativity. On this episode, Lloyd and Alf discuss what companies are getting wrong about innovation, why fatigue is set in and how to fix it. Alf also explains why the biggest icons are those who are free to take risks and outlines the three attributes of successful CEOs. Plus, hear about the big company Alf missed the boat on and hear what he learned from meeting GE magnate Jack Welch. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn Buy Alf’s book, Innovation for the Fatigued
Episode Highlights: 04:17: The surprising lesson Alf learned from meeting GE executive Jack Welch 09:00: The three attributes of successful CEOs 10:55: Innovation fatigue and how neobanks contribute to it 16:00: Why big companies aren’t necessarily bad innovators 22:17: Innovation as a balance of curiosity and perseverance 28:30: Why the most innovative companies lead by example 32:00: How the opportunity of a lifetime thrust Alf into an existential crisis 40:24: Why contrarians continue to fascinate Alf 46:41: Alf’s advice for climbing the career ladder | |||
| The future of work is multiple jobs | Louise Beaumont, techUK | 10 Nov 2020 | 00:50:44 | |
Dr. Louise Beaumont joins Lloyd for a far-reaching conversation that covers the future of open banking, the history of UK FinTech and everything happening in between. Louise is an ideal guest to comment on it all. Since completing her PhD in just 15 months and working as a consultant for Capgemini, she’s led a versatile and varied career, making an early investment in Funding Options and advising organisations from Bottomline to TechUK and Pay.UK. Louise holds a number of prominent roles in UK FinTech, and even chairs a podcast company, Message Heard, on top of it all. To kick off the episode, Louise walks Lloyd through her early experience and tells us why she’s never worried about making her career look good on paper. From there, the conversation dives into the ways Louise affects regulatory change, why Funding Options is such an intuitive company, how to make innovation accessible to businesses and which companies are best positioned to capitalise on open data. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn Listen to the I Can Be podcast Check out the full roster of Message Heard shows Check out a few of the companies Louise works with, including:
Episode Highlights: 02:45: The Starling vs Monzo news and why Catherine Zeta-Jones should play Anne Boden 08:51: Why Louise has never tried to make her career look good on paper 12:32: How increased diversity improved business at Capgemini 20:25: How Louise helps companies get ahead of regulatory changes 27:05: Why Louise is suspicious of innovation books 32:30: Want to understand Open Data? Think of a daisy 40:20: How the government can enable progress within the FinTech community 47:06: The secret superpower that fuels Louise’s career | |||
| The traits that make founders successful | Zihao Xu, Octopus Ventures | 03 Nov 2020 | 00:52:08 | |
The future of money is here as Octopus Ventures Partner Zihao Xu sits down with Lloyd to discuss how he finds tomorrow’s fintech behemoths. After starting his career with renowned strategic consultancy Roland Berger, Zihao moved into the venture capital sphere with Octopus, which identifies “unusually talented entrepreneurs” and offers early-stage funding. In this in-depth conversation, Zihao tells us what he looks for in an entrepreneur, how he determines the potential of products that haven’t even been built yet, and why effective staffing is the most important thing in building a successful enterprise. Plus, Zihao lets us in on what the next decade of fintech has in store and whether the shift to fully digital currencies is inevitable. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn
Episode Highlights: 05:55: What constitutes unusual talent and how does Zihao identify it? 08:52: How Octopus prioritises product in early-stage investments 17:48: The importance of staffing effectively in early-stage businesses. 21:52: How the internet is spurring major changes in finance 29:30: What does the next decade of finance have in store? 35:35: Why Octopus is investing in crypto derivatives 39:40: Zihao’s path into (and out of) consulting 43:29: How Bitcoin spurred Zihao to follow his passion 49:45: What Zi does to be the best venture capitalist possible. 39:10: How to increase executive diversity in FinTech 41:05: How to build a purpose-driven culture | |||
| Will ESG revolutionise pensions? | Romina Savova, PensionBee | 27 Oct 2020 | 00:43:55 | |
PensionBee Founder and CEO Romina Savova joins Lloyd to examine a sector that’s ripe for disruption: pensions. That’s the idea behind PensionBee, which Romina founded after working at behemoths like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. When she tried to consolidate her pensions in one place, she found the task impossible and received little to no help from financial advisors or her provider. That led her to found PensionBee, which has partnered with some of the sector’s biggest money managers, including Legal & General and BlackRock. In a far-reaching chat with Lloyd, Romina tells us about the advice gap in pensions, the rising demand for responsible investments and why sustainability and strong ROI aren’t mutually exclusive. Then she lays out her career trajectory from law to finance, outlines which types of businesses should pursue venture capital, and tells us how to build a purpose-driven culture. | |||
| Are big banks embracing open banking? | Georg Ludviksson, Meniga | 20 Oct 2020 | 00:59:02 | |
Meniga Co-Founder and CEO Georg Ludviksson sits down with Lloyd to outline how to found a successful FinTech. That’s a topic Georg has plenty of first-hand experience with. After developing one of Iceland’s most popular video games, Georg moved into tech, partnering with Nokia on an early mobile internet venture. That led him on to Harvard Business School before he founded Meniga, a digital banking company that boasts over 40 implementations with some of the world’s premiere retail banks. In his chat with Lloyd, Georg tells us why incumbents are actually making open banking possible and how the lines between banks and fintechs are blurring. Plus, he lays out how to have difficult conversations about founding equity, striking a balance between personal and business development, and how to maintain virtual relationships in a post-pandemic world. Follow Mana Search on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manasearchuk Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana-talent/ Episode Highlights: 06:34: How Meniga is so much more than a core banking solution 09:20: Why financial literacy is the key to career advancement 14:12: Why have incumbents been hesitant to embrace open banking? 20:30: Maintaining sustainable growth at Meniga 26:13: How Georg created one of Iceland’s most popular video games 31:53: Georg’s biggest tip for nw founders 36:55: How Georg deals with leadership stress 43:55: The best ways to balance work and personal life 47:47: The trait that helped Georg succeed 51:30: How to maintain virtual relationships 56:20: Teasing Europe’s next up-and-coming tech hotspot | |||
| Why do so many Goldman Sachs alums start FinTechs? | Adam French, Scalable Capital | 13 Oct 2020 | 01:01:19 | |
Scalable Capital Founder Adam French tells Lloyd Wahed how he went from a student at LSE to the founder of a wealthtech leader that partners with the world’s largest asset manager. So what accounts for Adam’s tremendous career growth? After interning with Goldman Sachs, he quickly moved up into director roles within the bank’s trading division. But his relentless pursuit of self-betterment led him to leave the investment giant to make a go of it with his four partners. Together, they founded Scalable Capital, a wealthtech company that boasts a $460 million valuation and a close partnership with BlackRock. On the podcast, Adam and Lloyd discuss the reason Scalable is moving beyond robo-advising, the traits that make so many Goldman alums great founders and what it takes to raise funds for new ventures. Plus, Adam shares insights from his collaboration with BlackRock and explains why investing firms need to start targeting millennials. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn
Episode Highlights: 02:16: What Scalable Capital’s up to and how it’s broadening its proposition 10:53: The importance of a solid founding theme 15:33: Why Scalable was founded without a CTO 23:53: Adam’s biggest opportunity at Goldman Sachs 28:42: Why Goldman alumni make such great FinTech founders 36:04: The long road to regulatory approval 39:08: How Scalable fostered user trust so quickly 45:43: Establishing the partnership with BlackRock 53:54: The traits that differentiate Scalable from other wealthtechs 58:54: Why millennials need better investment platforms as they age | |||
| Why every bank wants a robo advisor | Ned Phillips, Bambu | 06 Oct 2020 | 00:57:37 | |
Searching for Mana dives deep into WealthTech this week as Ned Phillips (Founder and CEO of Bambu, co-host of the WealthTech UnWrapped podcast) sits down with Lloyd to talk robo-advisors, sales and so much more. After starting out as a London insurance salesman in the early 1990s, Ned found success in the east as Etrade’s Managing Director for Asia. Since then, he’s become a leader in the global WealthTech space, providing solutions to HSBC, Standard Chartered, Franklin Templeton and more. And he’s only just getting started. On the podcast, Ned tells Lloyd about the skyrocketing demand for robos amongst banks and why he wants the name ‘Bambu’ to be synonymous with WealthTech. He also explains why he never hires anyone who’s rude to a waiter, why salesmen should always work as a team of two, why a positive attitude is everything, and how FinTech is poised to be a pillar of the Singaporean economy, Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn Check out Ned’s podcast, WealthTech UnWrapped
Episode Highlights: 03:20: Ned introduces us to Bambu and explains why he wants to rule the world of WealthTech 11:55: Big demand from banks: why so many companies are seeking out robo advisors 20:05: Turning Bambu into THE global WealthTech company 22:30: How Ned determined his career path 27:31: Ned’s superpowers: competitive spirit and relentless positivity 35:30: Why Ned prioritises attitude above skills when hiring 40:10: Lloyd’s advice for job interviews: “Be disgustingly well prepared” 46:15: Be the solution: Ned’s tips for being a great leader 50:25: How fintech could become the fourth pillar of Singapore’s economy | |||
| Faster SME loans are on the way | Julie Ashmore Dann, Rapid Cash at NatWest | 29 Sep 2020 | 00:58:50 | |
Julie Ashmore Dann (CEO, Rapid Cash at NatWest) sits down with Lloyd to talk about how her company is making loans simple for SMEs. After entering the industry as a remittance processor, Julie developed her expertise in small-business lending at such companies as Bibby Financial Services, HSBC and Growth Street. In January 2020, she joined Rapid Cash, which helps SMEs get loans in a matter of days rather than months. In this episode, Lloyd and Julie discuss the ways Rapid Cash has already helped companies weather pandemic-related crises before outlining the benefits of establishing fintechs at major financial institutions. Later they delve into Julie’s leadership experience, outlining the benefits of small, agile teams and sharing Julie’s lessons from a perilous polar expedition! Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn
Episode Highlights: 06:34: How Rapid Cash helped small businesses get the money they needed to make PPE during the pandemic 16:15: Why customers need increased choice of SME loans during COVID-19 25:00: The future of work: why smaller teams will place a greater emphasis on the customer experience 34:20: How banking became more entrepreneurial over Julie's career 41:23: How Julie remains ridiculously optimistic in trying times 45:27: Career paths: rapid rises vs sustained success 54:00: The hardest moment Julie faced on her South Pole expedition and how she overcame it | |||
| Brexit, BoE and big changes in Q4 2020 | Michael Brown, Caxton FX | 24 Sep 2020 | 00:31:43 | |
Michael Brown (Senior Market Analyst, Caxton FX) joins Lloyd for a special Thursday episode tackling the latest economic developments in the UK. Since joining Caxton FX in 2016, Michael has shown an impressive knack for predicting developments in the foreign exchange markets. In this episode, he shares why traders are bracing for a no-deal Brexit and tells us which currencies to invest in for Q4 2020. Plus, Michael warns us about of COVID-related economic shocks, a W-shaped recovery for the housing market and the dangers of negative interest rates at the Bank of England. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn Episode Highlights: 02:43: Why traders now predict a no-deal Brexit. 04:19: Don’t go below zero: predicting the Bank of England rate cut 08:55: Can the UK control a second wave of COVID-19? 11:20: The hot currencies traders should invest in for Q4 2020 13:44: Michael's biggest economic fear 15:40: Taxing big tech giants: should the UK do it? 17:25: How did Michael form his passion for economics? 20:48: Why Michael didn't go to university 24:32: How AI can (and can't) improve foreign exchange 30:22: Michael’s big advice for forex traders | |||
| CEO & Founder of Uncapped, Piotr Pisarz | Helping founders win through fast flexible finance | 14 Dec 2023 | 00:29:55 | |
In this episode of Searching for Mana, we're sitting down with Piotr Pisarz, founder and CEO of Uncapped, a leading alternative finance provider empowering companies to turbocharge growth through non-dilutive capital.
Piotrz shares the trailblazing path charted by Uncapped in the realm of entrepreneurial finance: from the initial tremors of rejection to the eventual seismic paradigm shift in the financing landscape.
Join us as we unearth insights about the company's early years, insights on the hiring process from a founder's perspective and the exciting future that lies ahead.
❓Curious about Piotr Pisarz and Uncapped? Dive deep into their ideas here:
Piotr Pisarz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/piotrpisarz/
Uncapped: https://www.weareuncapped.com
Follow Searching For Mana to stay tuned into our latest episodes.
Website: https://manasearch.co.uk/browse-jobs/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mana.search/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana1
✍️ We'd love to hear your thoughts! Drop us a comment with your opinion, experiences, and questions – we would love to bring them to our future episodes!
👍 Like this episode and subscribe to this channel if our content helped and inspired you! See you in our next episode!
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| How to make it in fintech | Richard Davies, Allica Bank and Revolut | 22 Sep 2020 | 00:58:43 | |
Richard Davies (CEO of Allica Bank, Non-Executive Director at Revolut) joins Lloyd to discuss the state of SME lending post-COVID and what it takes to succeed at the UK’s biggest fintechs. And he should know. Throughout his career, Richard has moved seamlessly between major incumbent banks and innovative digital challengers. He served as a Managing Director at Barclays and as COO at HSBC, but he has also thrived as a banking CEO at both OakNorth and Revolut. Recently, Richard took the first step on the next bold phase in his career: launching Allica Bank, a digital challenger that hopes to disrupt the underserved world of SME lending. In this episode, Richard and Lloyd talk about Richard’s path from tree surgeon to executive at Europe’s fastest growing fintech, as well as the importance of achieving both scale and profitability. Plus, they tackle the big question: are salary deposits the best sign of success amongst digital challengers? Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn
Episode Highlights: 02:20: Explaining SME lending and the issues incumbents face in this sector 10:22: From tree surgery to KPMG: how Richard got into banking 21:50: Do you have to drive a Jaguar to succeed in banking? 29:22: Richard's experience with Revolut 32:05: Why profitability has become catnip for investors 37:26: The traits you need to thrive at the UK’s biggest fintechs 40:15: Revolut as super app: why getting salary payments is no longer objective number one. 52:48: Fixing the UK post-COVID and Brexit: what Richard wants to do with Allica. | |||
| The one trait financial consultants need to have | Gregory Pastore, Baringa | 15 Sep 2020 | 00:57:13 | |
Gregory Pastore sits down with Lloyd and tells us how financial consultancies are preparing big banks for upcoming changes to global regulations. After building up impressive experience with a major US bank (JP Morgan) and a Big Four consultancy (EY), Greg has made waves as Baringa’s Director Finance, Risk and Compliance. He tells Lloyd about the company’s game-changing work on climate risk, why major banks need to work collaboratively and why regulators need to adopt commercial mindsets. Plus, he fills us in on why working abroad can help senior level managers advance faster and shares the one soft skill he looks for when hiring. Follow Mana Search on LinkedIn
Episode Highlights: 08:05: Why outside teams offer better regulatory recommendations than their in-house counterparts 15:40: How Baringa is changing the game on climate change risk exposure 20:30: The secret to Greg's success: applying a commercial mindset to regulation 29:00: Why big banks need to work together to survive global regulatory change 35:00: The regulatory potential of blockchain technology 45:05: The one trait Greg looks for in a candidate 53:50: The final frontier: what promise does space hold? | |||
| The best leaders are master psychologists | Beatriz Carrillo Garcia and Vivianna Rodriguez Carreon, University of Sydney | 08 Sep 2020 | 01:11:56 | |
Drs Beatriz Carrillo Garcia and Vivianna Rodriguez Carreon talk to Lloyd and Mana Search Co-Founder Mimi Nguyen about the hidden factors in great leadership!
The conversation also turns to employee engagement and why the best leaders are master psychologists. And it all concludes with a chat about the key takeaways from working through COVID-19!
Episode Highlights: 02:00: Beatriz and Vivianna discuss their credentials and research 06:43: How Theory U instills key leadership skills 16:20: Tolerating different ways of working in interdisciplinary teams 26:20: The ways in which leaders create productive environments 30:55: Why safe spaces are the key to effective collaboration 41:30: How much time should be spent in meetings? 51:00: Keeping employees motivated and engaged with their work 56:45: Why companies can’t take a top-down approach to their values. 1:03:55: How to enact change in large organisations 01:09:00: Creating optimal working conditions during COVID-19 | |||
| Using design to understand customers' needs | Jyothish Nair, McKinsey | 01 Sep 2020 | 00:58:16 | |
Design: it’s a fundamental way for companies to understand their end users’ needs. Jyothish Nair understands this better than anyone. A VP and associate partner at McKinsey, Jyo has been helping clients create optimal physical, digital and spatial experiences for over two decades. Sitting down with Lloyd and Mana Search Co-Founder Mimi Nguyen, Jyo tells us about his journey with McKinsey, whether it’s better to have four specialists or four jacks-of-all-trades, and why designers need to turn in work quickly while developing other skills. Plus, he digs into ethnography’s significance in crafting effective user experiences and shares how the Big Four consultancies are still succeeding without working on-site. Check out Jyo’s graphic novel project here Episode Highlights: 07:13: How companies can use design to understand customers’ needs 15:13: Why Monzo succeeded and Pingit didn’t 20:00: Are small teams inherently better for fostering disruption? 25:00: Why designers need to strike a balance between iteration and other skills 33:20: Repercussions of scale: how designers can take on an adoption mindset 41:16: Ethnography and its importance in the design process 48:40: How design can help alleviate fears around COVID-19 54:45: How the Big Four are adjusting to remote working | |||
| What is Boris Johnson's superpower? | Nicky Morgan, former UK Education Secretary | 27 Aug 2020 | 01:01:53 | |
On a special edition of Searching for Mana, Lloyd chats with Nicky Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Cotes. After serving for over a decade in Parliament – a term that included cabinet positions as Education Secretary, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture Media and Sport, and more – Nicky earned peerage in January 2020. In a wide-ranging chat that touches on politics, education and leadership, Lloyd and Nicky talk about achieving optimal performance, the frustrations of being and MP and the ways in which young people are still limited in their career options. Plus, Nicky tells us about the two types of people you meet in politics and divulges the “mana” of such notable leaders as David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn. The books Nicky mentioned on the show: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
Episode Highlights: 05:00: Why politics is a 24/7/365 job. 15:00: Nicky describes the superpowers of colleagues such as David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn. 23:40: The problem with careers – why too much still depends on who you know. 36:45: What’s the answer to massive student debt? 44:19: Why students need better career counselling prior to university. 54:30: What are Nicky’s three main career drivers? 01:00:00: The promise of UK FinTech. | |||
| How crypto is boosting financial inclusion | Teana Baker-Taylor, Binance | 25 Aug 2020 | 00:58:06 | |
This week, Binance UK Director Teana Baker-Taylor joins Lloyd for an enlightening chat about career progression, crypto and so much more! A financial veteran with over 20 years’ experience at companies like HSBC, Global Digital Finance and Coinfloor, Teana offers incredible insight into both blockchain and financial services in general. Touching on everything from the importance of community building to tokenisation’s potential for financial inclusion, Teana and Lloyd talk everything crypto has to offer. Then they dig into Teana’s career to provide crucial advice: how to forge your own career path, how to take feedback effectively, how to find the right mentor and other valuable lessons! Episode Highlights: 06:10: Teana walks us through her experience with big banks. 10:50: How Binance offers a customer-centric approach to blockchain. 16:40: Why crypto companies need to deliver on the promise of tokenisation. 24:55: Teana shares her vision of the future of crypto. 32:10: How Binance contributes to the growth of the crypto asset community. 39:50: Why it’s crucial to bring your authentic self to work. 44:10: Teana’s tips for finding the right mentor. | |||
| Why culture is the future for financial consultancies | Joseph George, Dufrain | 18 Aug 2020 | 01:30:11 | |
On this episode, Lloyd sits down with Joseph George, Managing Director and Partner at Dufrain. In his work with both Dufrain and Deloitte, Joseph has worked with major financial institutions such as Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, JPMorgan and more. Earlier this year, DataIQ named him one of the UK’s most influential people in data and analytics. In a wide ranging discussion, Lloyd and Joseph talk about the role education plays in career advancement, why mechanical engineering is a great specialty for future managers, and why FinTech companies are so exciting right now. Plus, Joseph shares his best advice for young professionals and tells us why the consultancies of the future will need to prioritise culture. If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a review! And don’t forget to follow us on social media:
Episode Highlights: [08:11] Joseph outlines how his cultural background instilled the importance of education from an early age. [18:38] How mechanical engineering preps professionals for management roles. [26:30] Why Joseph came to study in the UK rather than the US. [33:30] The best advice Joseph ever got in university. [44:10] Why experience is more important than education in the UK. [54:25] How the significance of data caused Joseph to jump from Deloitte to Dufrain. [01:02:15] Why culture is the future for financial consultancies. [01:14:50] How the financial services industry embraced data, and why SMEs are just catching up. [01:25:25] Why FinTech companies are so exciting for Joseph right now. [01:28:30] Joseph’s tips for young professionals. | |||
| What FinTech can learn from academia | Dr Karen Elliott, Newcastle University | 11 Aug 2020 | 01:22:47 | |
This week, Lloyd chats with Dr Karen Elliott, a Senior Lecturer in Enterprise/Innovation at Newcastle University. Karen was voted one of Innovate Finance’s #Standout 35 Women in FinTech, and in 2018, she and her colleagues earned a £1.2-million grant to help Atom Bank elevate its FinTech services. In this interview, Lloyd and Karen discuss the future of work, why a strong sense of purpose is the best incentive in the FinTech space, and the unexpected challenges facing emotionally intelligent bots. Plus: how can we stop the next Wirecard before it happens, breaking down the divide between academia and business, and so much more. If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a review! And don’t forget to follow Mana Search on Twitter and LinkedIn. To learn more about the study Lloyd discusses at 21:45, click here: https://hbr.org/2011/05/the-power-of-small-wins Show Notes: [02:10] Karen walks us through her experience and credentials. [13:40] Explaining the theory of trust. [23:40] Why working collectively makes leaders better. [31:25] AI’s blackbox issue: if complex machine learning systems can’t be explained, how do we get consumers to trust them? [35:45] Why consumers don’t always want emotionally intelligent bots. [53:32] Karen tells us why we don’t see more collaboration between academia and business. [01:05:16] Which courses can help students get ahead in FinTech? | |||
| How to raise $50-million rounds | Charles Delingpole, Comply Advantage | 04 Aug 2020 | 00:59:52 | |
[03:45]: Charlie explains the importance of anti-money laundering efforts and why it’s ‘the hardest problem within FinTech’. [16:20] After raising $40 million for a company he founded in his room, what challenges does Charlie continue to face? [30:50] Charlie explains how his approach to company culture has changed over the course of the past year. [39:35] How Charlie went from picking fruit to earning £400,000 in his first term at university. [53:20] ‘Do I love it enough to actually work there full time?’ The questions Charlie asks when he considers investing in a company. | |||
| From Y Combinator to dominating the lending industry | Freddy Kelly, Credit Kudos | 28 Jul 2020 | 01:09:57 | |
Freddy Kelly is the CEO and co-founder of Credit Kudos, a challenger credit bureau that uses financial behaviour to measure creditworthiness. Credit Kudos aggregates and interprets transaction data for use by lenders, brokers, and financial institutions: going beyond traditional scoring to provide a comprehensive view of a borrower’s creditworthiness.
Freddy started his career in Silicon Valley, with a background in Software Engineering, studying Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.
Since co-founding Credit Kudos, Freddy has been the driving force behind its core accomplishments; achieving full FCA authorisation as the first of its kind Credit Reference Agency, and most recently winning ‘Best New Innovation in Consumer Lending’ by FDATA Global 2018, and ‘Innovation of the Year’ at the Consumer Credit Awards 2018.
Credit Kudos is the first challenger credit bureau which uses open banking to replace traditional, narrow methods of credit assessment and make credit fair, and accessible to all.
Credit Kudos has become the chosen partner for credit intermediaries including ClearScore, CarFinance 247, and Mojo Mortgages, allowing customers to use their bank data to secure better offers across unsecured loans, car finance and mortgages.
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| Head of Product, Visa Cross-Border Solutions - Piers Marais | Searching for Mana | 06 Dec 2023 | 00:52:43 | |
In this episode of the Searching for Mana podcast, hosts Dan O'Riordan and Sachin Doshi have an insightful conversation with Piers Marais, Head of Product, Visa Cross-Border Solutions.
Piers Marais shares his Currencycloud journey and how this Visa solution is transforming the way people and businesses pay and are paid globally.
They also engage in an enlightening discussion on the importance of visualization and looking into the future, touching on topics such as the power of product management and the use of AI.
Don't miss this captivating episode where technology, innovation, and disruptive individuals intersect with the cutting edge of the fintech and payment space.
❓Curious about Piers Marais and Visa? Dive deep into their ideas here:
Piers Marais: https://www.linkedin.com/in/piersmarais/
Visa Cross-Border Solutions
https://www.currencycloud.com/company/news/visa-cross-border-solutions-helps-businesses-grow-globally/
Follow Searching For Mana to stay tuned into our latest episodes.
Website: https://manasearch.co.uk/browse-jobs/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mana.search/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mana1
✍️ We'd love to hear your thoughts! Drop us a comment with your opinion, experiences, and questions – we would love to bring them to our future episodes!
👍 Like this episode and subscribe to this channel if our content helped and inspired you! See you in our next episode!
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| Issuing £1 billion on funding SMEs | Lara Gilman, iwoca | 21 Jul 2020 | 00:58:24 | |
4:10 how was iwoca in 2014 at Series A and the power of people behind creating products and innovations (guest Mimi Nguyen) 7:21 iwoca in 2020 funding last year over 1 billion. Culture being a big part of iwoca 9:45 Mission of SME lending and what is iwocaPay? 22:45 How is technology supporting the underwriting process? The balance between machines and humans in the decision process. 24:50 How did COVID-19 affected iwoca and it’s clients? 30:00 Fintech 2.0 32:32 Lara’s background and what brought her to fintech 39:15 Lara’s mana - what has shaped her career 48:27 What makes a good researcher? | |||
| How tech promotes financial inclusion | Joe Parkin, BlackRock | 14 Jul 2020 | 00:55:33 | |
Joe is Head of the UK Banks and Digital Channels business at BlackRock - The World's Largest Asset Manager.
He is responsible for delivering BlackRock’s full suite of investment products, bespoke client solutions and propriety technology capabilities to some of the firm’s largest clients, including UK & Global Private Banks, UK Retail and Challenger Banks and Digital Channels (Robo Advisors & brokerage Platforms).
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| Is the Middle East a tech goldmine? | Fiona Ghosh, Addleshaw Goddard | 30 Jun 2020 | 01:06:48 | |
[00:05:00] Fiona talks us through her work overseeing one of the worlds largest strategic alliances between the Volkswagen Group and the Ford Motor Company [00:18:30] We learn more on Addleshaw Goddard and how the practice breaks down [00:27:45] Fiona and Lloyd talk about the opportunities still to be uncovered in the Middle Eastern Tech market [00:34:00] Lloyd begins to dig into Fiona’s biography - when did she first want to be a lawyer? Her experiences at Oxford and beyond! [00:55:00] Covid and how regulation will take even more of an important role57m - What lessons does Fiona try to enstill on her children? | |||
| The tech advantage in investments | Christian Faes, LendInvest | 24 Jun 2020 | 01:10:10 | |
Christian is the co-founder of LendInvest, the marketplace platform for property finance, and one of the leading Fintech businesses in the UK. The business has raised well over £1 billion in debt and equity, from institutions such as Atomico, the European Investment Fund, Citibank, HSBC, and the National Australia Bank.
Christian comes from a legal background having practised as a real estate lawyer in Australia at Allens Arthur Robinson, and then in the UK with Clifford Chance and Deutsche Bank. In 2008, Christian co-founded the business with Ian Thomas, initially seeing an opportunity in the short term mortgage market.
Christian is a keen advocate for the Fintech sector, and sits on the Government’s Fintech Delivery Panel; he also founded and chairs the Digital Finance Forum. He is an active supporter and early investor in several startups, including Seedrs, Crowdcube and Onfido.
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| Digitising equity management | Christian Gabriel, Capdesk | 18 Jun 2020 | 01:30:26 | |
Christian Gabriel is the CEO & Co-Founder of Capdesk - a social shareholder platform that makes investments in private growth companies accessible to all.
Despite widespread economic challenges across the world - Capdesk have bucked the trend and in April 2020 secured £3m in Series A funding
Founded in 2015 by Christian, alongside Mikkel Boje & Martin Damhus, Capdesk provides a cap table management platform that enables private companies to keep a clear overview of ownership (in terms of cap tables, shareholder register, and equity reporting) and to manage employee option pools. The company currently serves approx. 1.000 European companies.
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| Holding FinTech accountable | Isabel Woodford, Sifted | 16 Jun 2020 | 01:03:45 | |
For episode 3 of our second season - Lloyd was delighted to be joined by Isabel Woodford - Fintech Journalist at Sifted.eu the leading (and FT backed) media site for Europe’s innovators and entrepreneurs.
Isabel has been featured in The Guardian, Reuters, The New York Times, and prior to joining Sifted, as a reporter at US crypto news outlet, The Block.
Please do continue to like/share/comment/subscribe! We are growing thanks to all of our wonderful listeners. Stay tuned for more fantastic future episodes on Searching for Mana with Lloyd Wahed
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| Does FinTech lending have an SME problem? | Conrad Ford, ex-Funding Options | 11 Jun 2020 | 01:15:50 | |
Breaking: Exclusively on Searching for Mana - Conrad reveals to us the details of his latest venture
Conrad Ford is the founder of, SME finance broker, Funding Options - having founded the company in 2011 - Conrad and his team built the business into the leading SME marketplace winning multiple awards along the way and accumulating an exceptional leadership team.
Conrad left for new projects in 2019 and has since been working as an advisor for Anne Boden and Starling Bank
As mentioned by Conrad during the show:
https://a16z.com/2019/10/01/google-maps-for-money/
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| Empowering women in data science | Anna Brailsford, Code First Girls | 09 Jun 2020 | 01:04:19 | |
To kick off Season Two of Searching for Mana - Lloyd was delighted to be joined by Anna Brailsford Before joining CF:G Anna was the CEO and co-founder of Founders Factory incubated EdTech startup Frisbee. | |||
| Best of Season 1 - Feat. Julian Sawyer | Keith Grose | Rory Stirling | David Brear | Charlotte Crosswell | Ed Vaizey | David Keene | Nick Ogden | Husayn Kassai and more | 04 Jun 2020 | 00:42:26 | |
It's the Season One Wrap Party - and to celebrate we are releasing a 'Best of' episode featuring highlights from our wonderful guests. | |||
| Changing the fabric of financial services | David Brear, 11:FS | 13 May 2020 | 01:16:18 | |
This week Lloyd was joined by David Brear - founder and CEO of award-winning Fintech Consultancy 11:FS. | |||
| The Missing Link, a Nayms podcast with Searching for Mana - Martin Carrica, Mountain Protocol | 28 Nov 2023 | 00:42:42 | |
On this episode of The Missing Link, we're joined by Martin Carrica, Co-Founder and CEO of Mountain Protocol. Mountain Protocol are the issuer of USDM, the first regulated permissionless yield-bearing stablecoin. Mountain Protocol like Nayms, is a Bermuda licensed Digital Asset Business. Although regulated in Bermuda, you'll be surprised to hear how many jurisdictions he considered before he landed in Bermuda! During the episode, we dive into Martin's background and origins of his desire to launch Mountain Protocol and create a stablecoin, how USDM differentiates itself from other stablecoins, and even gives us his predictions for 2024 and how he's getting his whole family into stablecoins. You won't want to miss it! This podcast does not contain any financial or legal advice and you should not seek to rely on it as such. Opinions are the personal opinions of the speaker.
Nayms: https://nayms.com
Mana: https://searchingformana.com
Like this episode and subscribe to this channel if our content helped and inspired you! See you in our next episode!
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| Meet the inventor of e-commerce | Nick Ogden, Funding Options | 06 May 2020 | 01:19:32 | |
“You don’t pivot, you refine” This week we were delighted to be joined by noted entrepreneur and inventor of e-commerce, Nick Ogden From building the first online shop in 1994, Nick has since founded 4 businesses - Worldpay, Cashflows, Clearbank and RTGS. Nick spoke fascinatingly about his entrepreneurial genesis on the Channel Islands and pitching his first idea to Sony executives in Japan, to founding Clearbank - who became the first clearing bank in the U.K. for 250 years. With many multiples of industry accreditation’s and awards to his name - Nick is a true giant of global entrepreneurship | |||
| FinTech with a social purpose | Peter Briffett, Wagestream | 29 Apr 2020 | 01:04:10 | |
We were delighted to be joined by Peter Briffett - CEO and founder of Wagestream, the Fintech with a truly fantastic social purpose. Recorded from his amazing ‘work from home’ shed and giving Lloyd surely the most unique opening to a show he’s had so far, Peter speaks in-depth about how Wagestream is truly helping people to manage their finances by utilising open banking to stream their wages into their bank account as they earn. We learn of Peter’s nomad upbringing, as his parents lectured and taught across the world - his first forays into 90’s tech and how he was the CEO of a company that Bill Gates described as the best acquisition that Microsoft ever made! Oh and he’s also part of a world record-breaking sports team… Surely that’s enough to make you delve deeper into the latest episode of ‘Searching for Mana!’ Pssst…..Thank you to everyone who has listened, subscribed and shared our shows so far - this week we were recognised as one of the top 8 UK Fintech podcasts by the Growth Gorilla Fintech Marketing Agency global list https://growthgorilla.co.uk/best-fintech-podcasts-2020/ Please continue to like/share/subscribe and tell your friends! | |||
| FinTech's machine learning revolution | Husayn Kassai, Onfido | 15 Apr 2020 | 00:50:07 | |
We are thrilled to have with Searching for Mana our next guest Husayn Kassai, CEO and co-founder of Onfido. He is sharing with us his 8-year journey from graduation from Oxford University to building up an AI company. He also explains the concept of "immunity passports" for governments battling coronavirus. Onfido has just raised $100 million, reaching a total funding amount of $200 million. | |||