Join us for a panel discussion that spotlights entrepreneurs and other influential figures at the forefront of FinTech who are addressing the challenges and promise of this sector.
Event Details
The innovations arising from the convergence of technology with traditional financial structures, known as FinTech, are transforming the financial services industry as we know it, but can they replace it?
Along with the freedoms of lean operations and light regulations, FinTech companies face a unique set of challenges, including lack of investment capital, experience in risk management, and established customer bases. Solutions may be sourced from FinTech's biggest competitors--the banks--but is this a productive partnership? How can leaders of this emerging sector scale up to meet market needs while preserving the integrity of their business?
The UK is one of the leading hubs for FinTech with companies in the region attracting sizeable investment. On February 15, 2016, Chicago Conversations comes to the Chicago Booth London Center to discuss the trends and challenges that experts are navigating in FinTech.
Speaker Profiles
Robert Wardrop (Speaker) '96
Executive Director, Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance
Waverly Deutsch (Moderator)
Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship, Chicago Booth
Waverly Deutsch, clinical professor of entrepreneurship at Chicago Booth, teaches Building the New Venture, a unique course on entrepreneurial execution. She also teaches the global track of the Edward L. Kaplan, '71, New Venture Challenge, an expansion of the #1 university accelerator program in the nation that is designed for Booth Executive MBA students and alumni worldwide. Deutsch has been a full-time coach for the annual New Venture Challenge competition since 2002. In 2012, she became one of the faculty coaches for the companies in the Polsky Center Summer Accelerator Program.
Deutsch's research focuses on the execution issues entrepreneurs face as they grow their businesses, especially marketing, sales, operations and team building.
Deutsch was awarded the 2004 USASBE Innovative Teaching Pedagogy for the YourCo simulation game, which allows students to develop and run a mock business through all phases of operation. In 2015, Deutsch was honored with the Phoenix Faculty award for her contributions to the Booth student community beyond the classroom.
In addition to teaching, her self-proclaimed "first love," Deutsch is an active angel investor and advisor to start-ups including the Stylisted, Pretty Quick, InterApt, and SwingByte. She is an advisor to OCA Ventures, a leading technology VC in Chicago, and serves on the board of SmartBet Charities. She served on the board of directors for InContext Solutions, a leading 3D virtual store market research company from 2009 to 2011. In her year as managing director of NetFuel Ventures, an internet incubator, Deutsch helped raise seed capital and launch three technology companies before the firm merged with ARCH Development Partners. As executive vice president of marketing and strategy for internet exchange company fob.com, she increased their media visibility by 500 percent. She spent seven years with Forrester Research, helping to grow the company from a 20-person boutique market research firm to a publicly traded, global brand with a market cap of over $600 million and offices worldwide.
Deutsch earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985. She received a master's degree in 1989 and a PhD in theater history in 1992 from Tufts University.
Rahul Pakrashi (Panelist) '10
Chief Risk Officer, Funding Circle
Joel Perlman (Panelist)
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, OakNorth Bank Limited
Joel Perlman is Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of OakNorth Bank, the Bank for Entrepreneurs. OakNorth received its banking license in 2015 and has raised over USD 80m in capital to date. He previously co-founded Copal Amba, an outsourced financial research company, that grew to become 2,500 employees across 8 offices in 12 years; Moody's Corporation acquired Copal Amba in 2011.
Joel began his career at McKinsey & Company and has degrees from the London School of Economics and Georgetown University.
Hiroki Takeuchi (Panelist)
CEO and Founder, GoCardless
Questions
Nancy Johnston
Senior Associate Director, Corporate Relations
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