PwC and NatWest senior leadership join FinTech West Board
FinTech West has appointed PwC’s Katharine Adlard and NatWest’s Louis Spencer to its advisory board in a strategic move to help mobilise more financial technology firms in the South West. The appointment of the two new members will aid FinTech West to grow its sphere of influence within the corporate financial sector, providing greater ancillary guidance to existing FinTechs, along with the incubation of new ones.
FinTech West supports disruptive start-ups, scale-ups and established enterprises.
Katharine Adlard is a PwC Director and leader of PwC’s Financial Services Tax Team in the West and Wales with over 17 years of experience in the financial services sector. PwC has a full-suite local FS specialist team working across Tax, Deals, Audit and Consulting. Katharine specialises in advising and auditing established, regulated FS businesses such as insurance companies and retail banks/building societies, but is increasingly being called upon to advise new FS startups. Involved with FinTech West since its inception, she was also involved in the recent WECA Bristol and Bath FinTech cluster strategy report.
Louis Spencer, Senior Relationship Manager and Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) Lead for the West of England Commercial Banking has over a decade of experience in corporate and commercial banking. He has been a key contributor to various business reports and eco-system initiatives over the past 5 years including the WECA FinTech Strategy Review 2022 with Deloitte.
Katharine said: “I have a particular interest in FinTech and how it can disrupt and shake up the traditional financial sector offering, and I have enjoyed facilitating sessions through PwC’s partnership already, sharing insight into the industry and contributing to thought leadership. I am excited to make an impact in this sector with FinTech West and look forward to all we can achieve together.”
Louis added: “I have both a personal and professional interest in FinTech, particularly the role they can play in driving greater financial knowledge & equality and supporting disadvantaged communities – I see the positive impact of NatWest’s Moneysense programme we deliver into schools locally and I’m confident FinTechs will be an increasingly positive factor and driver in educating people about their finances. I’m looking forward to bringing my expertise from working with NatWest Entrepreneurship Accelerator and growing businesses into FinTech West to bring about an inclusive growth of all its members”
Stuart Harrison, Director of FinTech West said: “Having extremely experienced and knowledgeable board members like Louis and Katharine is fantastic for FinTech West and we are excited to continue the journey to help promote and provide vital support to the ever-growing FinTech community across the South West”