George
Head of Strategy & Partnerships
Ever since I was a kid, I've always loved tech. One of my earliest memories is being in our kitchen waay past my bedtime with my dad and little brother, celebrating setting up a Local Area Network! Coding with Visual Basic, burning my own Mix-CDs with Napster and Nero, and building one of the world's best Simpsons fansites (Simp2k) - it was all so fun and the possibilities seemed endless.
As is common, educators profoundly shaped my story. An inspiring Maths teacher and a horrendous IT teacher later, I eventually ended up studying Mathematics at University College London with Finance superseding Tech as a plausible career choice. Three post-GFC years on the algorithmic trading desk at Goldman Sachs underscored how fascinating the intersection of finance and technology could be.
The next gig was with Oliver Wyman in management consultancy, specialising in financial services. The first half of that five year stint involved a variety of risk and governance projects for investment banks. The second half I transferred to the firm's Digital division and worked with C-suite execs and led teams to develop neobank ventures across retail and commercial banking.
I now head up Strategy & Partnerships at one of Natwest's digital propositions. Day-to-day I'm responsible for identifying and integrating 3rd party suppliers into our platform, working closely with our CEO, CTO and CPO to deliver against our OKRs. I'd like to think of myself as having a T-shaped skillset; a generalist somewhat capable in a range of areas but with expertise in B2B Fintech. I recently launched the UK's largest online directory of black-owned businesses Afrolift.com as a little side hustle.
What I can help you with:
Working in Tech, particularly in commercial and strategic roles
Navigating a change in the industry
Working in consulting or finance
Entrepreneurship and getting a side-hustle off the ground