137: 11:FS | David M. Brear

In Ep 137 of Fintech Chatter Dexter Cousins chats to David M. Brear, CEO of 11:FS.

A celebration of sorts as both 11:FS and Tier One People celebrate their 7th anniversaries.

Tune in as Dexter and David discuss their contrasting experiences over the last 7 years as founder/builders in Fintech. They share their lessons in business, hiring, leadership, life, startups, parenthood, and everything else in between.

About 11:FS

11:FS is a challenger consultancy that builds and launches next-generation digital propositions for some of the biggest banks in the world.

Driven by the belief that digital banking is 1% done and that digital reform is needed to improve systems and services for banks and their customers.

11:FS build new digital banks and banking products, and deliver benchmarking, research, and consultancy for banks, insurers, governments, regulators and startups around the world.

They are behind multiple podcasts including Fintech Insider, a bi-weekly show about all things fintech and financial services, which is downloaded in over 100 countries every week and is one of the top business podcasts on Apple podcasts; Blockchain Insider, a dedicated podcast specialising in all things blockchain, ledger technology and cryptocurrencies and Insurtech Insider, covering the latest news, insights, and trends in the Insurtech industry.

About David M. Brear

David is the CEO of 11:FS and since his dream of being a sportsperson was crushed (along with the ligaments in his knee!) and he had to get a proper job, he has worked in pretty much every angle of the financial services industry, never losing that competitive desire to drive forwards and win. 

Having pitched, established, and run billion-pound transformations for some of the biggest FS companies on the planet the realisation that Digital Financials Services Is Only 1% Finished has spurred his desire to establish an organisation that can actually support the industry through its greatest challenge. 

11:FS is a challenger to the incumbent consultancies. We create innovative strategies and build out new propositions and ventures in the UK, US, Europe and Asia for some of the biggest brands on the planet. Alongside this 11:FS build in-house products from competitor benchmarking tools like 11:FS Pulse, to core banking and modern architecture systems like 11:FS Foundry. 

In 4 years 11:FS went from zero brand and zero revenues to a multimillion a month business with one of the hottest brands in fintech all with zero external investment in the group.

136: Marqeta | Jeff Parker

In Ep 136 of the Fintech Chattter Podcast Dexter Cousins is joined by Jeff Parker SVP and Managing Director, International at Marqeta.

Ep 136 Marqeta - Jeff Parker. Talking points:

03:38 Pipes and Plumbing of Fintech

05:42 Serving a Global customer base

09:29 Embedded Finance - Hype or BIG opportunity?

19:44 The Marqeta Culture

23:01 Making the switch from Big Bank to Fintech

28:56 Why most people fail in startups

33:45 Where the next big shift in Fintech innovation will come from

39:56 Jeff's Podcast recommendations

About Jeff Parker

Jeff is responsible for building Marqeta’s go-to-market and operational functions internationally and advancing the company’s service offerings in its key markets across Europe and APAC.

In his 20 years of experience in the financial services space, Jeff has worked across four continents, in senior roles at Macquarie Bank and international payments businesses, OFX, and then WorldFirst, a company he led as CEO.

About Marqeta

Marqeta is headquartered in Oakland, California and is certified to operate in 39 countries globally.

Marqeta’s modern card issuing platform empowers its customers to create customized and innovative payment cards.

Its modern architecture gives its customers the ability to build more configurable and flexible payment experiences, accelerating time-to-market and democratizing access to card-issuing technology.

Marqeta's open APIs provide instant access to highly scalable, cloud-based payment infrastructure that enables customers to launch and manage their own card programs, issue cards and authorize and settle payment transactions.

For more information visit Marqeta

Watch Ep136 Marqeta | Jeff Parker on Youtube

https://youtu.be/Fb6ZzHMCa6E

005: Betacarbon | Guy Dickinson

In episode 5 of Blockchain Chatter Dexter Cousins chats to Guy Dickinson, CEO and Cofounder of BetaCarbon.

BetaCarbon launched in 2021 and winner of the Finnies People's Choice Award in 2022. Guy shares his journey of heading up Carbon Markets for HSBC to launching his own startup, democratising carbon trading tokens on the Ethereum network.

About BetaCarbon

Betacarbon enables retail investors to get exposure to Australian Carbon. For the first time, you can take part in the Australian carbon market with as little as $1.Carbon credits are created through projects that capture greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as planting trees. These credits can then be bought and sold in the carbon markets, with the goal of reducing overall carbon emissions.

As the world moves towards a low-carbon future, carbon credits will likely continue to play a role in helping businesses and individuals offset their carbon emissions and transition to cleaner energy sources.

https://www.betacarbon.com/

About Clima
In just three simple steps, Clima makes it easy to show customers your commitment to climate change, while improving brand loyalty.
https://www.clima.com.au/

135: ConnectID | Andrew Black

In episode 135 of Fintech Chatter Podcast Dexter Cousins is joined by Andrew Black, Managing Director of ConnectID.

About ConnectID

ConnectID aims to become Australia’s first and leading reusable digital identity exchange, allowing citizens to take more control over their identity and data, and enabling organisations to unlock value and reduce security risks. 

Part of Australian Payments Plus (which also includes eftpos, BPAY, Beem and the New Payments Platform) ConnectID provides businesses access to trusted and reliable identity data, and is partnering with the big 4 banks to launch this Digital Identity ecosystem for Australians.

Find out more - https://connectid.com.au

About Andrew Black

Andrew is an established leader in the Digital Identity industry, working with state and federal government here in Australia. He also works with international bodies to shape future technology evolutions and policies to protect citizen data and rights. 

Originally hailing from Scotland, Andrew spent the past decade leading digital ventures on data and cyber security in 2 major UK banks, having most recently led Open Banking and Digital Identity.

Connect with Andrew 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-black-a5118239/

Find out more about Open Banking/CDR

Alan Tsen, Fintech Radar on Fintech News

Fintech Chatter News is back for 2023!

In this new monthly format, Dexter chats with a friend of the show about the BIG Aussie Fintech news of the month.

This month's guest is Alan Tsen of Fintech Radar

Follow Alan on Twitter https://twitter.com/alantsen

As an OG of Aussie Fintech Alan was GM of Stone and Chalk and Chair of Fintech Australia.

More recently Alan held the Director of Revenue Strategy role for African Fintech Chipper cash.

And Alan has now gone back to his Fintech roots by heading up IAG Firemark accelerator program, FMX

Alan is also the author of the excellent Fintech Radar newsletter - Make sure you subscribe!

In this edition of Fintech Chatter News Dexter and Alan cover:

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004: Fireblocks | Shane Verner

In episode 4 of Blockchain Chatter Dexter Cousins chats with Shane Verner from Fireblocks.

Shane shares the amazing story of Fireblocks, a tech startup that got to $100m ARR in record time (only Slack has accomplished this feat faster than Fireblocks!)

Dexter asks Shane why an Israeli-based Blockchain business sees Australia as such an important market.

And they talk about some of the groundbreaking work Fireblocks is doing in the Australian market.

Shane has spent many years in the banking technology sector working for companies like Thought Machine, IBM and Cisco. He shares his insights on how blockchain and digital assets are the future of the banking industry.

About Fireblocks

Fireblocks is an enterprise-grade platform delivering a secure infrastructure for moving, storing, and issuing digital assets. 

Fireblocks enables exchanges, lending desks, custodians, banks, trading desks, and hedge funds to securely scale digital asset operations through the Fireblocks Network and MPC-based Wallet Infrastructure. 

Servicing over 1,600 financial institutions, Fireblocks has secured the transfer of over $3 trillion in digital assets, and has a unique insurance policy that covers assets in storage & transit. 

Some of the biggest trading desks have switched to Fireblocks because it’s the only solution that CISOs and Ops Teams both love. 

For more information, please visit www.fireblocks.com.

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123: Hnry - James Fuller

In episode 123 of the Fintech Chatter Podcast, Dexter Cousins welcomes James Fuller, Co-Founder and CEO of Hnry. Hnry simply pays your taxes as you earn, so you never have to think about tax and compliance ever again!

As winners of this year's Fintech Australia, People's Choice Award, Hnry is capping off an incredible 5 years since they launched in 2017.

It's a unique story where James shares how he and his wife Clare have built Hnry into a successful Fintech from New Zealand and the humble beginnings of an excel spreadsheet.

About Hnry

Founded in 2017, Hnry is one of New Zealand’s largest accountancies that provides a pay-as-you-go all-in-one digital accounting service handling invoicing, expenses, payments, taxes, and filings as well as providing expert on-demand support.

It takes care of all the financial admin for contractors, freelancers, sole traders and the self-employed - allowing them to focus on getting the job done, rather than worrying about tax and compliance.

In 2020 Hnry launched in Australia and quickly became Australasia’s fastest growing specialist accountancy. The Hnry Australia team are based in Sydney and are led by Karan Anand, Hnry's Managing Director of Australia.

Make sure to give us a subscribe and like and if you are listening to the podcast hit follow and leave a review in the Spotify or Apple podcasts app. Every like, share, review and follow really helps us promote and support the Aussie Fintech ecosystem.

120: Koba Insurance, Andrew Wong

In episode 120 of the Fintech Chatter podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Andrew Wong of Koba Insurance.

Koba, a data-driven Australian car insurance company

Koba's offers comprehensive car insurance at a flat (whilst parked) fee, with an add on cost per km's driven. So, if you work from home and your car is sitting in your garage then you simply don't pay any extra. With an ever-growing number of cars linked to smart technology, this offers a fairer pricing option for many customers.

KOBA is led by an industry-leading insurance professionals team, not just a bunch of tech guys trying to solve insurance problems, they understand that technology gives them a competitive advantage.

Andrew is a senior executive with a background in digital and commercial marketing strategy. He has worked on the digital launch of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands for corporate environments and start-ups in global markets incl. US, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, China, and the UK.

He is a natural salesperson and performance-based marketeer with a dedication to gain rapid and measurable ROI. He has successfully assembled high-performing teams and navigated through complicated landscapes and chaos to achieve a collective vision.

Find out about Koba Insurance here

Find out about Andrew Wong here

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About Tier One People

115: Kit, Yish Koh

In episode 115 of the Fintech Chatter podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Yish Koh, MD of Kit. Launched in Beta in May 2022, Kit is the latest venture from x15ventures, CommBank’s venture-scaling entity.

Kit is an ‘earning and learning’ money app, that helps school-aged kids build financial capability through fun, evidence-based and experiential learning. Nifty nudges and kid-friendly explainers are delivered by Kit – a friendly, in-app sidekick, who helps make money, make sense.

Prior to being MD of Kit, Yish Koh was Head of Portfolio at x15, responsible for new venture investment and building opportunities. Starting off her career in management consulting, she spent several years working in the NFP sector in early learning, disability services, and health insurance, prior to joining CBA.

Watch on Fintech Chatter TV

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Fintech Chatter is free of sponsors and will always be free content. If you appreciate the interviews please help us promote the show by

Thanks for your support!

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About Tier One People

087: ClearScore, Stephen Smyth

In episode 87 of Fintech Chatter Podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Stephen Smyth, Chief International Officer at ClearScore, as they help users improve their financial wellbeing.

ClearScore aims to help users around the world manage their finances better by accessing credit report information, coaching and great offers. 

They are now the #1 way for over 12 million users in Australia, South Africa and the UK to access their financial data, including credit reporting/scores, and Open Banking data. 

Stephen heads up the expansion of ClearScore business to new markets overseas and runs the Australian team, based in Sydney.

Tune in as Stephen talks about their recent $200m raise, regulation around BNPL and why Australia has a great opportunity to lead in open banking.

And Stephen also shares his tips on how to launch and scale in new markets plus the mission-critical hires you need to make to ensure success.

Find out more about ClearScore

86: Mambu, Kristofer Rogers on Fintech Chatter

In episode 86 of Fintech Chatter Podcast, Dexter Cousins is joined by Kristofer Rogers, General Manager for Australia and New Zealand at Mambu, the cloud-native digital banking platform.

Kris is instrumental in solidifying Mambu’s presence in this region. In this exclusive interview, he shares the company plans for the region and why Mambu sees Australia as a great place to grow.

Kris gives his thoughts on open banking and where Mambu can play an active role in creating ecosystems between incumbents and Fintechs. He and Dexter discuss the rapidly blurring boundaries of where Fintech and other industries are blurring.

And Kris gives advice on leadership, launching businesses and he also shares his tips on how to be successful in a Country Manager style role.

About Kristofer Rogers

In November 2019, Kris was named the Start-Up Executive of the Year at the CEO Magazine’s Executive of the Year Awards for his work as the CEO of Split Payments. 

Kris was the driving force behind Split Payments’ success and transformation into a key player in direct debit and real-time payments solutions. 

Kris is recognised as an innovator in the tech industry and a thought leader in emerging payments and, specifically, open banking. He regularly speaks at events and on panels.

Register for Mambu's Future Forum - https://www.mambu.com/insights/events/the-future-forum-2021


082: Westpac, Macgregor Duncan

Westpac Banking as a Service CEO, Macgregor Duncan is a special guest on ep 82 of Fintech Chatter Podcast.

Dexter Cousins asks questions about the 10x partnership and how Westpac's Banking as a Service platform brings Fintech and incumbent Banks closer.

In October 2020 Westpac announced a landmark partnership with Fintech giant, Afterpay. The partnership will allow Afterpay to provide Westpac transaction and savings accounts and other cashflow management tools to its 3.3 million customers in Australia.

To our knowledge, no other such partnership exists in the world of Fintech. Further partnerships with Society One demonstrate Westpac's desire to work with Fintech rather than compete.

As we head into Intersekt Festival 2021 Macgregor talks candidly of the challenges facing incumbent banks. He also shares his thoughts on how banks can adapt and become part of a very exciting but uncertain future.

About Macgregor Duncan and Westpac

Westpac is Australia's second-largest bank. Macgregor Duncan leads Westpac’s corporate and business development team, where he’s responsible for M&A, strategic investments and partnerships. 

Macgregor also heads up Westpac’s new digital bank.

Before joining Westpac in 2016, Macgregor's spent time in the US as managing director at a US private equity firm. He also spent time as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, and a corporate lawyer in New York. 

Graduating from Adelaide, Princeton and Harvard Universities, Macgregor is the co-author of Imagining Australia: Ideas For Our Future.

Macgregor is currently a non-executive director at the Australian Business Growth Fund and sits on the board of 10x Future Technologies.