How did this Fintech company conquer the pandemic head-on?

March 2020 was a time of uncertainty and fear around the world. The COVID-19 outbreak had just been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, and no one knew what the future would hold. It was the perfect time to open a new fintech corporate office in a new country.

Incomparably curious and defiantly brave

In early 2020, when PEAK6 looked to open an office in Belfast, Northern Ireland, they could not have foreseen the coming pandemic and its effects on the workforce. They knew Belfast had strong tech talent, a good time zone overlap with the US, and a government that supports local businesses with grants to help create jobs, provide job training and access industry conferences.

Even when the pandemic hit the launch date, PEAK6 and the Belfast team moved forward. “We knew we had a great technology company and the support in Belfast to make it a success. We didn’t think about failure,” says Lisa Stevenson, site lead and VP of engineering at Apex Fintech Solutions UK. “Our biggest hurdle was attracting us talent when they didn’t know anything about PEAK6 and get the brand out, all while we couldn’t meet in person. But once we hired someone, we would scale quickly through strong knowledge and culture, which really contributed to our success.”

The original aims of PEAK6 Northern Ireland were to expand the technology department across all PEAK6 industries; they needed people who could integrate quickly. “This is where having the right recruitment team is important,” says Stevenson. “We couldn’t do this without Clark Litster, Robyn Andrews and their talent acquisition team. It’s about hiring the right people from the start, people who are not only talented, but who understand that we’re a great place to work because we collaborate well. We are a safe place to present ideas and our employees have the autonomy to own a project from end to end.”

Reborn: How a New Name Gave New Purpose

After two years, there was a clear pattern in the projects that came in from the PEAK6 industry. Apex Fintech Solutions had been immediately impressed by the work coming in from Belfast and they continued to expand their growth. “In October 2022, we transitioned to Apex Fintech Solutions UK as we continue to tighten the definition of what a visionary technology company is all about,” explains Stevenson. “We are still focused on the same initiatives. We will always recruit top talent. We simply identify ourselves as one entity under the Apex name.”

Apex Fintech Solutions, a PEAK6 company, is a market-leading, technology-focused company that aims to provide secure, frictionless digital execution, clearing and custody for a global universe of investable assets. What drives Apex is a commitment to increasing financial literacy and helping to eliminate barriers to investment opportunities for the next generation of digital wealth creation.

Why ambitious plans are delivering fast results in Belfast

With almost 100 staff strong and growing, those who work at Apex Fintech Solutions UK will tell you that the best thing about it is the people. You hear this about many places, but it has a ring of authenticity in Belfast. And none of it happens by accident. “We are very conscious about who we hire, but even more conscious about how we retain people,” says Clark Litster, senior talent acquisition specialist at Apex Fintech Solutions UK.

“We do sessions with our engineers to find out what people like about working here, and the answer is always about the people, that everyone is talented, smart and collaborative,” says Litster. “We like to think we’re fun to be around and quite a social group, even after hours.”

Managers and their teams often meet with employees to ensure their careers are on track, create a strategy to achieve personal goals and identify knowledge gaps with a plan to fill them. The office manager helps staff stay up to date on events and there is a new social committee. “We work hard together and enjoy each other’s company outside of the day-to-day,” says Litster. “This way, collaboration is fun and easy.” And sometimes these conversations and collaborations manifest in global opportunities – like an employee being sponsored for a three-year visa to work out of the Apex Fintech Solutions office in Austin, Texas, in the US.

Cathal King, principal software engineer at Apex Fintech Solutions UK, agrees. “The people are a great family group,” says King. “Also, there is still a high caliber of engineering at middle management and higher levels. That’s refreshing. It’s nice to have a mix of skills making up management teams.”

To live in the present and look forward to the future

Apex Fintech Solutions UK is still growing and looking at how best to contribute to the Belfast community. They are focused on offering new services for their customers and running progressive projects for the fintech company. As for the community and their people, they are stronger than ever – 25% of the Apex Fintech Solutions UK team are taking part in the upcoming Belfast Marathon.

Are you looking for an exciting job in Belfast, Northern Ireland? Our teams are growing, and we have more roles in software development, support, infrastructure, information security and product. Check out available jobs in Belfast here.