EY opens fintech hub in Midlands

The new Hub will be run by a four-strong management team – Sagar Khandelwal, Heather Hales, Mark Wood and new hire, Joe Murray – and is part of EY’s ambitious growth target to double its UK financial services technology revenue over the next three the years .

The new Hub, located at 1 Colmore Square in Birmingham, expands EY’s already strong financial services audit and advisory technology capabilities and will serve clients across the UK.

The management team
Sagar Khandelwal is a UK partner and has been with EY since 2013. He has extensive digital and emerging technology expertise, leading large scale digital, cloud and data transformation programs for financial services firms. Sagar also brings highly relevant experience in setting up EY’s technology hub in the Midlands, having established three similar such hubs in European locations over the past six years. Prior to EY, Sagar was interim CIO & Head of Delivery for Insurwave, an insurance blockchain platform.

Heather Hales is a UK partner with over 22 years experience in insurance. Heather joined EY in 2010 and currently leads the firm’s Insurance Technology Transformation People team, supporting some of EY’s largest European financial services clients to achieve multi-year digital and technology transformation projects.

Mark Wood joined EY as a UK partner in 2020. He has over 25 years of experience in the banking sector, working both in industry and on the consulting side. In his career, Mark has led a number of major change programmes, and has particular expertise in digital transformation and technology-driven strategy.

Joe Murray joins EY from BJSS where he was Head of Ops Transformation & Sustainability. As part of EY’s technology consulting leadership team, Joe will be focused on helping banking clients navigate their digital transformation journeys. Joe has over 21 years of experience delivering complex transformation operations and operating models for companies across various sectors. Prior to his career in consulting, Joe spent 16 years in the British Armed Forces.

Commenting on the new technology, Martina Neary, Head of Financial Services Midlands at EY, said: “This is a significant investment in our technology business in the Midlands as we expand the range of skills and services we can offer to clients . We have a strong and growing Midlands practice and are focused on attracting top technology talent to meet the needs of financial services companies across the region and the UK.”

Preetham Peddanagari, EY UK Financial Services Technology Partner added: “Birmingham, and the Midlands more broadly, is a natural place to establish a technology hub given the talent in the area and the leading financial services companies in the region. Sagar, Heather, Mark and Joe are already preparing exciting expansion plans and we look forward to welcoming more new team members in the near future from across the Midlands.”

Anna Anthony, UK Financial Services Managing Partner at EY, concludes: “The Midlands is an integral region that forms part of EY’s technology growth strategy. Our plan to double UK technology revenue within three years is undoubtedly ambitious, but with businesses increasingly looking to digital to achieve meaningful operational transformation and cost savings in a challenging environment, we are confident that our new technology hub will be met with strong market demand. ”

Commenting on EY’s new technology hub, Neil Rami, CEO of West Midlands Growth Company, said: “The West Midlands’ status as the UK’s fastest growing technology sector outside of London and a wealth of specialist talent make it the ideal location for EY’s innovative new Tech Hub. The region’s critical mass of financial services also testifies to the wealth of growth opportunities the West Midlands has to offer ambitious firms. This investment is fantastic news for the region, set to bring a wave of jobs for local people, and we look forward to seeing and supporting EY’s continued expansion in Birmingham.”