These Fintech Leaders Are Making the Sector Count
2024 has been a challenging year for the global fintech market, as reported by KPMG, with investments and deals plummeting to a seven-year low. This downturn is largely attributed to ongoing macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical conflicts, leading to a noticeable pullback in investments. However, amidst this uncertainty, there is a glimmer of hope for a rebound in the industry.
Interestingly, Ireland’s fintech sector appears to be thriving. According to Enterprise Ireland, venture capital deals in Irish fintech continued to grow last year, even as EU VC fintech deal activity leveled off in 2023. This resilience highlights the importance of strong leadership in navigating the turbulent waters of the fintech landscape.
Money runs the world, and ensuring that it flows smoothly across borders is more vital today than ever before. Here’s a look at some of the fintech leaders who are making significant contributions to the sector.
Bahea Izmeqna
Bahea Izmeqna serves as the Chief Product Officer at Smart Pension, a London-based fintech. Since taking on this role in 2024, she has been instrumental in overseeing the company’s technology, product, and solutions, with a keen focus on developing Smart’s platform, Keystone. This platform is designed to assist governments and financial institutions—such as insurers, asset managers, banks, and financial advisers—in delivering effective retirement savings and income solutions.
Izmeqna brings extensive experience in the fintech sector, having previously held positions as Chief Operating Officer for CurrencyFair and Zai at SC Ventures, a division of Standard Chartered. Smart Pension boasts a roster of high-profile investors, including JP Morgan, Legal and General, Link Group, and Barclays.
Katia Karpova
Katia Karpova, a Stanford MBA graduate, leads Fiserv in the EMEA region, where the company operates across 13 countries. Before her current role, she served as the EMEA Chief Financial Officer for Fiserv and was the head of client service and implementations for treasury services at JP Morgan Chase.
Fiserv is a global fintech giant that facilitates the movement of money for nearly 10,000 financial institutions, businesses, and consumers. Recently, the company relocated its European headquarters from London to Ireland, marking a significant shift in its operational strategy.
Karpova was featured in the SiliconRepublic.com The Leader’s Room podcast in 2024, where she discussed her insights on the fintech landscape.
Lorna Martyn
Lorna Martyn is the Regional Chair and Senior Vice-President of Technology at Fidelity Investments, a role she has held since 2022. With two decades of experience at Fidelity, Martyn has served in various leadership positions in both Ireland and the US. Before becoming Regional Chair, she was the head of technology in Ireland, where she significantly contributed to the division’s growth.
Martyn’s extensive background in financial services and telecommunications includes previous roles as a developer and project lead at Bank of Ireland and project manager at Saville Systems. Beyond her work at Fidelity, she actively contributes to the technology ecosystem in Ireland as a board member of Technology Ireland.
Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy, the founder and CEO of Fenergo, was named The Irish Times Businessperson of the Month for December last year. Recently, Fenergo announced a €100 million research, development, and innovation expansion package, which will create 500 jobs across its 14 global locations, including 300 in Dublin.
Fenergo serves 300 of the world’s largest banks and insurers, including Bank of China, Danske Bank, and Credit Suisse. Murphy noted that a significant portion of the company’s income is generated from international markets, emphasizing its global reach from Dublin. Before founding Fenergo in 2008, he spent over 11 years at Ergo, rising from a software engineer to a sales director.
John O’Beirne
John O’Beirne is the CEO and Executive Director of Square International, the European division of the US fintech Square. Earlier this year, he was appointed as the Chair of the Fintech and Payments Association of Ireland (FPAI), an organization that represents the Irish fintech sector.
In his role at Square, O’Beirne focuses on optimizing integrated commerce and payment solutions. With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, he has held various roles in Ireland and abroad, including CEO of Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank.
You can listen to O’Beirne on SiliconRepublic.com’s The Leader’s Room podcast for more insights into his leadership journey.
Andrea Reynolds
Andrea Reynolds founded the Irish fintech Swoop in 2017 and serves as its CEO. Her career in finance began as an accountant with KPMG, later transitioning to raising funds for small businesses. Reynolds is also the Chairperson of Berkshire Hathaway European Insurance and a Non-Executive Director at Faraday.
Swoop is a global funding and savings platform that connects SMEs with loans, grants, equity funding, and savings opportunities across multiple countries, including the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Canada, and the US. Earlier this year, Swoop announced a significant strategic investment from Sandbox Industries, valued at $6 million. In 2023, Swoop was recognized as the fastest-growing tech company in Ireland in the Deloitte Fast 50, marking a significant milestone as the first start-up founded by a woman to receive this accolade.
Nicola Sheridan
Nicola Sheridan has been the Financial Services Tax Director at PwC Ireland for over six years. She began her career at PwC as a summer tax intern in 2007 and has since risen through the ranks. Sheridan is actively involved in Women in Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) and played a key role in establishing the Dublin chapter of the organization in 2016.
Her commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the financial sector is evident through her efforts, including organizing the first bell-ringing event for International Women’s Day at the Irish Stock Exchange.
Neil Hosty
Neil Hosty became the CEO of Fexco Group in early 2022, having previously served as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer. He also held the position of CEO of Metamo DAC, a joint venture between Fexco and Irish credit unions.
With over 20 years of experience in banking, Hosty has held various senior roles at AIB, focusing on retail, business banking, and wealth management in both Ireland and the US. Founded in Co Kerry in 1981, Fexco specializes in payments, foreign exchange, and business services, employing over 2,600 people and operating in more than 50 markets with annual transactions valued at over €37 billion.
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