Description

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Elizabeth Lumley, an all-around FinTech expert who is currently the deputy Editor at The Banker, a company from the FT. Elizabeth received the State Street UK Press Award for Journalist of the Year in Technology and Digital Finance in 2022.

For 20+ years, Elizabeth has been a global specialist commentator on regulations, risk, data, and technology in investment, retail, and global transaction banking. She is recognized internationally as one of the leading voices in FinTech and banking technology innovation, as well as a well-established global conference speaker and conference organizer.

During this discussion, Sabine and Elizabeth dive into the trends affecting FinTech in the upcoming year.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• I’ve been in this industry for about 28 years – kind of by accident. I wanted to be a journalist, specializing in politics. Still, most of what I’ve done in this space has been as a reporter or editor covering how banks and financial insurance firms use data and technology. Now, I’m deputy editor of The Banker magazine as part of the Financial Times. It’s been an exciting journey through this vast and varied industry of banking and financial services.
• I got on Twitter when it was first starting, and my voice became amplified. I’m full of opinions, and I can’t keep them silent, so I write blogs, do interviews with people, webcasts, and events, and I started posting on Twitter, and people really responded to that. Social media has been perfect for me and my career. This was also when smaller FinTech companies started emerging; it was a perfect storm.
• A lot of people are talking about where financial services are headed with the metaverse and Web 3.0, and how payments and services will be embedded in that world in the future. That’s an interesting conversation, but right now, it’s very innovative theatre-y, something to talk about on stage, and nothing is actually happening. What’s actually happening right now is that we’ve had so much growth over the years – not just in startups but in banks as well – there is a focus on efficiency, cost-cutting, saving money, and talent retention. It’s not a sexy topic to talk about, but I guarantee you it's what every bank is working on right now.
• Insurance is one of those sectors where the sexiest part of it is that you don’t know it’s there. We’ve had insurance embedded into things for a very long time, when you buy a car, for example. You only know it’s there when you need it. I think that having that service available to customers when they need it is harder to achieve than people realize. I think the idea of owning the customer so you can sell them more stuff is the mindset of a lot of people in the industry, instead of acknowledging the customer so you can serve them better, which I think would actually make them more profitable customers, actually, in the long run. But that’s not the mindset many people have. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘Pick your investors wisely.’
‘Journalism has changed a lot in the past 30 years. I wanted to be a magazine editor, and I’m glad I didn’t go into that world because I probably wouldn’t have a job. You’ve got to pay for quality, which is why the FT and The Banker are behind paywalls.’
‘Social media puts you in charge of what you’re putting out into the world and the narrative you’re putting out into the world.’
‘To me, FinTech is any way of using technology to improve banking and other financial services.’

ABOUT THE GUEST

Elizabeth Lumley is an all-around FinTech expert who is currently deputy editor at The Banker, a company from the FT. For 20+ years, she has been a global specialist commentator on services, regulations, risk, data, and technology in investment, retail, and global transaction banking 

Elizabeth is internationally recognised as one of the leading voices in FinTech and banking technology innovation, and is a well-established global conference speaker and organiser.

Her expertise includes: technology installations and market data usage at global investment banks, retail banks, institutions, and exchanges, as well as the emerging FinTech ecosystem of new entrants and startups.

ABOUT THE HOST

Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.

If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.

And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at hello@alchemycrew.ventures