FinTech Wales, the independent membership association and champion of the fintech and financial services industry in Wales, is hosting an online chat with fintech entrepreneur and former CEO of Worldpay, Ron Kalifa OBE.
Sponsored by global data and analytics provider, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, the webinar will be a Q&A session with arguably one of the biggest global voices of fintech and will chart his journey, which includes the creation of Worldpay as a small start-up to the global corporation that it is today.
Ron, who was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to finance and technology, will have plenty to talk about. His reputation as one of the world’s leading voices on fintech led to him being appointed by the UK Government in 2020 to lead its independent Fintech Strategic Review.
Having started his career in the financial sector at NatWest in 1978, Ron later went on to join the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), where he worked in strategy, marketing and operations across the UK, Europe and the USA.
Ron became Vice-Chairman of Worldpay in 2013, having served there as CEO for 10 years prior. Under Ron’s leadership and strategic oversight, Worldpay moved from an under-invested division of a UK bank to a FTSE 100 company and, more recently, merged with FIS to create a $75bn global payments company which is listed on the NYSE.
The current chairman of Network International and Future Learn, Ron also sits on various not-for-profit boards. He is a Non-Executive Director for Transport for London and in 2019 was appointed as a Non-Executive Director to the Bank of England’s Court of Directors. Ron is also on the Board of the England Wales Cricket Board and the Council of Imperial College London.
FinTech Wales CEO, Sarah Williams-Gardner said: “Ron’s reputation as a global voice of fintech will no doubt provide some fascinating and inspiring insights into the sector and we’re absolutely thrilled to be hosting this Q&A with him.
“As well as hearing about his amazing journey, we hope to talk about some of the outputs from the Independent Fintech Strategic Review that Ron is leading. This is an absolute must for anyone working in the fintech sector.”
The UK fintech sector is estimated to be worth around £7 billion to the economy and employs hundreds of thousands of people up and down the UK. The review will help to ensure UK fintech has the resources to grow and succeed, that conditions are right for the widespread adoption of financial technology, and that the UK’s global reputation for innovation is maintained and advanced.
Founded in 2019 as a not-for-profit, FinTech Wales exists as global voice for Welsh-based fintech and Financial Services. As well as nurturing and supporting those businesses already in Wales, it will develop the ecosystem to help fintech companies, start-up or scale-up in Wales and aims to establish Wales as a pillar of the global fintech economy.
Tickets for ‘Ron Kalifa OBE shares his experiences and perspectives on the future of UK fintech’ on Thursday, February 25 at 3pm, are available here.
