FinTech Awards Wales – Exclusive Interview: Cardiff Capital Region

Matt Hyde, Director of FinTech Awards Wales meets:

Suzanne Chesterton,

Head of Marketing and Communications in the Cardiff Capital Region

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Tell us about your main focus in the Cardiff Capital Region

My main focus is on marketing and communication. Essentially, it means making sure we’re continually telling the story of the impact we’re striving to create through our investment and intervention activity, and also making sure we take every opportunity to spotlight – and celebrate – some of the hugely exciting things happening in our priority sectors, in our businesses and in our local communities day in and day out across the region.

What impact do you feel the FinTech Awards Wales are making in the FinTech sector in Wales?

Over the last two years, Fintech Wales has done a pretty incredible job of putting our part of the world on the fintech map – standing ‘loud and proud’ of startups, scaleups and established businesses making ‘us’ an increasingly important player in the fintech industry.

The growing prestige and popularity of the FinTech Awards Wales reflects its rapid development in recent years – showcasing the game-changing ingenuity and world-class ambition evidenced every day by a wide range of businesses, and spotlighting Wales as a place open to business, open to ideas and open to award-winning high caliber performers in one of the world’s most valuable sectors.

Why have you chosen to support the awards and especially the award for FinTech Company of the Year?

Fintech is one of the CCR priority sectors – and we are proud to have been a key supporter of an industry that is strongly rooted in our region, creating high-value jobs closer to home, helping us leverage inward investment and prove that we can grow. GVA in South East Wales. These are all key goals of the Cardiff Capital Region – and we are delighted to reflect this synergy by supporting the awards and in particular celebrating the FinTech Company of the Year award.

At a broader level, CCR is also about encouraging people and businesses of all types and sectors to be the best they can be – applauding effort, rewarding excellence and recognizing the individuals and businesses that build sustainable success.

How do you feel the Welsh economy has fared post-Covid and what predictions do you have for the next 12 months?

The Welsh economy is very diverse, particularly in our region which includes towns, cities, valleys and rural communities. So it is perhaps little surprise that some sectors are booming, some are doing ‘okay’ and a few market segments are at risk of recession. It is common across the world right now as we move into a fourth industrial age that is further disrupted by inflation, supply chain changes and threats to both food and energy security.

It is a time of great uncertainty – and great opportunity – so while we cannot predict the future, we can help create it: by strengthening our infrastructure, supporting our businesses, developing our skills base and continuing our work to create inclusive prosperity built on world-class ambition and economic resilience.

What is Cardiff Capital Region doing today to support FinTech in the future?

The short answer is that we do everything we can. We have invested £1.6m in an initial five-year partnership with FinTech Wales – and over the next few years the two organizations will work closely together to deliver on CCR’s ambition to help establish Wales as a leading FinTech sector in the UK.

Developing competitive, innovation-led ecosystems in priority clusters is an important part of our overall strategy – and FinTech Wales is certainly the right partner to help us meet this ambition. We are impressed with the early milestones already achieved and hugely excited about the enormous potential that lies ahead.

Finally, what is the best advice you have received and what advice would you give?

Do what you love and love what you do. I was lucky enough to experience that during my time in senior roles at Barclays Bank and Allianz Insurance in London – and now here “at home” in the Cardiff Capital Region. We’re all at our best when we find something that truly motivates us—and if you can do that with people who share your passion and sense of purpose, so much the better.