"I am delighted that Mark and Kimberley have agreed to co-chair pro-manchesters new fintech committee, being run in collaboration with MIDAS. "
Ilona Alcock, pro-manchester Sector Group Manager
Manchester, UK – Following the recent launch of a new FinTech committee, MIDAS and pro-manchester are pleased to have two of the region’s leading industry experts on board to co-chair the group. Kimberley Waldron, Co-Founder and MD of SkyParlour, and Mark Robinson, Client Director at Finch, have been appointed to head up the committee, which aims to address challenges and drive collaboration within the sector.
MIDAS is Greater Manchester’s inward investment agency, while pro-manchester is the largest business development organisation in the North West.
Together, Kimberley and Mark will help build a powerful vision for the group, which is already set to be the most subscribed in the pro-manchester portfolio, and facilitate teamwork amongst the members. High on their agenda is to ensure the regional FinTech industry is recognised in the buzzing national and international FinTech markets, and has a voice loud enough to match the pace of development happening in the city.
With more than 30 years of success in FinTech between them, the duo knows the new committee has an exciting journey ahead, just as Manchester embarks on its biggest year in FinTech.
Kimberley Waldron, Co-Founder and MD of SkyParlour says: “I want to help create a committee that serves both the FinTechs and the ecosystem of businesses built around them. In the next 12 months the industry spotlight will again be on balancing innovation with regulation and compliance. But focus will also need to be on ensuring the technology gets into the hands and businesses of users. That’s down to communication and why a group like this, that gathers the full FinTech ecosystem, from tech development, finance, governance and marketing, is both unique and important.”
Mark Robinson, Client Director at Finch, adds: “FinTech is a huge part of the global tech sector and Manchester illustrates this better than most. As with all things Financial and Technology related there comes an ever increasing amount of compliance, regulation and risk management challenges. So, a specific FinTech committee is a positive step for the region and as co-chair I look forward to working closely with my fellow committee members to get under the skin of the sector here in Manchester. I hope that our work will build a strong support network for businesses within the city and help place Manchester onto the global FinTech map.”
Greater Manchester is home to the UK’s largest regional financial and professional services sector, but this is the first dedicated committee of its kind in the city. The mission is to showcase success stories from the area, provide worthwhile networking and attract further investment and opportunity.
Rachel Eyre, Business Development Manager for the Financial, Professional and Business Services sector at MIDAS, said: “Greater Manchester is already recognised as the FinTech capital of the North but the local financial technology ecosystem and industry is evolving rapidly. I’m delighted that we’ve established such a strong group of professionals to drive the progression and expansion of the FinTech industry across the city region.”
Adding to this, Ilona Alcock, Sector Group Manager for pro-manchester states: “I am delighted that Mark and Kimberley have agreed to co-chair pro-manchester’s new fintech committee, being run in collaboration with MIDAS. Their enthusiasm and expertise will ensure this high growth sector gets the profile and support it requires. I’m looking forward to working closely with the committee to run a wide-ranging events programme.”
The first committee meeting will be hosted by DLA Piper on the 27th November, where the agenda is set to focus on key deliverables and ambitions for the rest of 2019 and 2020.
To find out more about the group and how to get involved, please visit: https://www.pro-manchester.co.uk/sector-groups/
