Lisa Jacobs, Uma Rajah, Natasha Wear make Fintech Powerlist
Funding Circle’s Lisa Jacobs, CapitalRise chief executive Uma Rajah, and Zopa’s head of peer-to-peer lending Natasha Wear are among the women who have been honoured for their contribution to the fintech sector, in Innovate Finance’s Women in Fintech Powerlist 2021.
The seventh annual Powerlist has highlighted 250 women who are leading innovation in financial services, and numerous representatives from the P2P and alternative lending sector were recognised.
As well as Jacobs, Rajah and Wear, Innovate Finance named Jude Cook, chief executive and co-founder of ShareIn as a leader in environmental, social and governance (ESG) innovation, while Roxana Mohammadian-Molina, chief strategy officer at Blend Network, was identified as a senior leader in the fintech field.
Zopa and Funding Circle won several spots on the list, with Isabel Pitt, Zopa’s head of core services, being recognised for her services to technology, while Funding Circle’s UK head of compliance, Chia Lee, and head of strategic partnerships Fran Warrington also getting nods.
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Warrington also featured in Innovate Finance’s ‘Standout 45 Stars’, where she was praised for her work on embedded lending solutions for key strategic partners, and for her role in helping Funding Circle to adapt to the pandemic.
P2P service providers Credit Kudos and Funding Options were also praised. Kelly Read-Parish, chief operating officer at Credit Kudos, was recognised in the ‘senior leaders’ category, while Courteney Way, marketing director at Funding Options, was listed as a top marketer and communicator.
Nina Mohanty, chief executive and founder of social money lending platform Bloom Money was also highlighted as a ‘Standout 45 Star’.
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Innovate Finance praised the quality of the entrants this year and said that it had received thousands of nominations, “highlighting that there is certainly no lack of female talent within the sector”.
“The transformation of financial services is being driven by passionate, inspiring female leaders representing all levels of seniority and all components of the FinTech ecosystem,” said Janine Hirt, chief executive, Innovate Finance.
“In their role as entrepreneurs, founders, investors, bankers, communicators, tech experts, and more, it is these outstanding women who are moving the needle and making financial services more sustainable, more effective, and more inclusive for all.
“Shining a light on the incredible women making a true difference is an honour, and something we look forward to every year here at Innovate Finance.”
The Women in Fintech Powerlist was published to mark International Women’s Day, which takes place today (8 March).
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