Building the Future of Fixed Income Connectivity
In the latest episode of FinTech Focus TV, host Toby Babb welcomes Tom McKee, Co-Founder of TransFICC, to discuss the company’s journey, the challenges of scaling a high-performance tech team, and the evolving landscape of financial technology. As a leading player in fixed income trading, TransFICC has carved out a unique space by delivering ultra-low latency, high-performance connectivity solutions for financial institutions. This conversation provides invaluable insights into the intersection of FinTech, recruitment, workplace culture, and technology innovation.
Tom shares how the journey of TransFICC has been shaped by innovation and a strong commitment to excellence. The company has navigated a constantly evolving landscape by staying ahead of technological advancements, creating a workplace that fosters talent, and building solutions that address real market needs.
A Vision for Building a High-Performance Tech Workplace
From the outset, TransFICC was built with a clear vision—to create a workplace that its founders themselves would want to work in. Tom McKee, alongside co-founders Steve Toland and Judd Gaddie, established the company in 2016 to solve a critical industry problem: efficient and scalable connectivity for fixed income markets. The goal was not just to create a strong technology offering but to design an environment that would attract and retain the best technologists.
Hiring the right people has been a fundamental pillar of TransFICC’s success. Tom shares how the company took a different approach to recruitment, focusing on long-term fit rather than short-term hiring pressures. This method allowed them to maintain a high talent density, ensuring that every new hire contributed to the overall capability of the team. The emphasis on hiring problem solvers, effective communicators, and technologists eager to learn from one another has been crucial in sustaining the company’s momentum.
This approach to recruitment has not only resulted in a team of top-tier technologists but also created a strong culture of innovation. By ensuring that every new hire shares the company's values and commitment to high-quality work, TransFICC has successfully built a workplace where people are motivated to push the boundaries of what’s possible in financial technology.
Scaling Without Compromising on Tech Talent Quality
One of the most significant challenges faced by any growing technology firm is maintaining quality while scaling. Tom reflects on the early hiring experiences at TransFICC, describing how the responsibility of bringing in new talent was a pivotal moment for him as a leader. The first few hires felt like a huge responsibility—knowing that these individuals were putting their trust in the company to provide them with a thriving career. This sense of accountability has continued to shape TransFICC’s hiring strategy.
Unlike many firms that focus on filling vacancies rapidly, TransFICC prioritises hiring based on solving real problems. Instead of hiring for the sake of hiring, the company assesses when additional expertise is genuinely needed to support growth and innovation. This method has enabled them to build a strong technical foundation while avoiding the pitfalls of over-hiring and talent dilution, a common issue in high-growth FinTech firms.
The careful approach to hiring has been a significant factor in the company's ability to scale effectively. By maintaining a focus on talent quality rather than just headcount, TransFICC has continued to develop innovative solutions while ensuring its team remains agile and responsive to changing market demands.
The Power of a FinTech Remote-First, High-Trust Culture
As companies continue to grapple with the remote vs. in-office debate, TransFICC has emerged as a model of how to implement remote work effectively. While many organisations are struggling to balance productivity with flexibility, TransFICC has built a remote-first environment that fosters collaboration, learning, and productivity. The key, Tom explains, is structuring remote work in a way that encourages communication and knowledge-sharing.
A significant part of TransFICC’s remote success stems from pair programming, a technique where developers work together in real-time, ensuring continuous feedback and learning. This approach not only enhances productivity but also maintains team cohesion despite geographical distance. In a sector where talent is often concentrated in major financial hubs, TransFICC’s strategy allows them to tap into expertise from across Europe and North America, further strengthening their position in the market.
Beyond pair programming, the company has also implemented structured check-ins, clear documentation processes, and an open communication culture that ensures remote workers feel just as connected as those in an office setting. By leveraging digital tools and focusing on transparent workflows, TransFICC has proven that remote teams can operate at peak performance levels without sacrificing collaboration or efficiency.
The Role of Continuous Learning and Adaptability in a successful FinTech
A defining characteristic of TransFICC is its commitment to continuous learning and adaptability. The company actively encourages developers to explore different aspects of technology, rotate between teams, and even transition between different technical disciplines. By eliminating strict divisions between teams and enabling developers to work on various products, they create a dynamic, engaging workplace that keeps talent motivated and constantly evolving.
This approach has also led to some unexpected innovations. Tom shares an example of how the company’s SRE (Site Reliability Engineering) team identified an opportunity to turn their internal infrastructure into a commercial product. By leveraging automation and creating a scalable hosting network, they were able to offer global hosting solutions—a move that stemmed directly from empowering employees to take ownership of their ideas and contribute to the company’s strategic direction.
By embracing adaptability and encouraging cross-functional collaboration, TransFICC ensures that its team remains resilient in the face of industry changes. The company’s culture of continuous improvement means they are always evolving to meet new market demands.
Looking Ahead: The Future of TransFICC and FinTech Hiring Trends
As the industry looks towards 2025, the FinTech hiring landscape is shifting once again. Following a slowdown in recruitment over the past two years, companies are now refocusing on attracting high-calibre talent to drive innovation. With major financial institutions increasingly looking to automate workflows and enhance trading infrastructure, the demand for top-tier developers and engineers is surging once more.
TransFICC’s structured approach to hiring, combined with its focus on employee development, adaptability, and product excellence, positions it as a leading employer of choice in the FinTech space. As Toby and Tom discuss in this insightful episode, finding the right talent is not just about filling roles—it’s about building a long-term vision that benefits both the business and its people.
For those looking to be part of a forward-thinking FinTech firm that values talent, innovation, and a collaborative culture, TransFICC represents an exciting opportunity. If you’re a technologist seeking your next challenge, now is the time to explore how you can contribute to shaping the future of fixed income connectivity.
The latest episode of FinTech Focus TV featuring Tom McKee, Co-Founder of TransFICC, provides deep insights into how innovative FinTech firms are navigating growth, talent acquisition, and technological advancements. As a FinTech recruitment firm, Harrington Starr is uniquely positioned to support companies like TransFICC by identifying and securing the highly specialised talent needed to drive success in Cloud Engineering and DevOps, Cyber Security and IT risk, Data, Infrastructure Support, Network Engineering, Product Management, Quantitative Finance, Sales and Marketing, and Software Engineering.
One of the standout themes of this conversation is TransFICC’s commitment to hiring top-tier technical talent. Their focus on maintaining a high talent density and prioritising long-term fit over rapid scaling mirrors the approach that Harrington Starr takes when helping businesses build high-performing teams. The demand for specialists in low-latency trading technology, financial connectivity solutions, and scalable infrastructure is higher than ever, and firms like TransFICC are leading the way in creating collaborative, remote-first environments that attract top talent in FinTech software engineering and infrastructure support.
Moreover, TransFICC’s strategic approach to expansion and market growth in North America highlights an ongoing trend in the financial technology sector—the need for specialised recruitment services that align with business objectives. Harrington Starr’s expertise in connecting companies with skilled professionals across all FinTech verticals ensures that firms like TransFICC can continue to scale without compromising on talent quality.
Additionally, this episode reinforces the importance of cross-functional expertise, with TransFICC enabling its team members to transition between network engineering, software development, and product management to foster innovation. This aligns with the increasing demand for multidisciplinary professionals within the FinTech space—candidates who can bridge the gap between data analytics, quantitative finance, and cybersecurity risk management.
Ultimately, the discussion between Toby Babb and Tom McKee highlights a critical reality in FinTech: successful firms are built on great people. As a FinTech recruitment specialist, Harrington Starr remains committed to helping businesses attract, develop, and retain the exceptional talent needed to drive innovation and long-term success in financial technology.
