Innovate Finance hires board member
UK fintech trade body Innovate Finance has appointed Yvonne Bajela as a board member.
Bajela (pictured) is an investor at Impact X Capital, an early-stage investment firm that invests in underrepresented entrepreneurs across Europe.
Prior to this, Bajela was a senior investment manager at Japanese investment giant Mitsui where she managed over $200m in investments in various countries and before this worked as a strategist, advising fast growing companies on how to scale.
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She is a non-executive director and audit and risk committee chair at City Gateway and has featured on various lists, such as the rising star on the Black Powerlist and a position on Forbes’ 25 Leading Black British People.
And this year was selected as a Standout35 in Innovate Finance’s own Women in FinTech Powerlist.
Innovate Finance said that Bajela’s expertise in diversity and inclusion will reinforce Innovate Finance’s mission of ensuring that access to financial services is fair and equitable for all.
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“I’m absolutely delighted to be joining the Innovate Finance team as a board member and look forward to working closely with Louise, Janine and the wider team at a time when UK fintech continues to grow from strength to strength,” said Bajela.
“I’m excited to share my expertise on capital and investment, and also contribute to the diversity and inclusion aims that Innovate Finance has set out to encourage the fintech sector to incorporate these values – from the earliest stage start-ups to more mature scaling firms.”
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“It’s a pleasure to welcome Yvonne onto our board at a time when the UK fintech sector is benefitting from increasing investment and continued growth,” said Janine Hirt, chief executive of Innovate Finance.
“Yvonne brings vital experience and expertise to the role as Innovate Finance continues to support its members and work with industry, government and the regulators to build on the UK’s global leadership in financial innovation, and move towards a fairer, more democratic and more inclusive financial services sector for all.”