Building a FinTech Career Outside the Norm

FinTech Career Pathways

In a special episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, recorded live at PAY360 2025, Nadia sits down with Charlotte Bullock, the Chief Product Officer at Bank of London, to explore an inspiring and unconventional journey into senior leadership in FinTech. This candid conversation provides valuable insight into how inclusion, opportunity, and belief in potential can fundamentally shape a person's career—and how the FinTech industry can do more to widen the pathways to success.

This episode shines a spotlight on Charlotte’s career—from her choice to pursue an apprenticeship over university, to becoming one of the founding members of Bank of London. It’s a story that champions non-traditional routes into FinTech, highlights the role of mentorship, and celebrates the power of digital transformation in reshaping financial services. For those navigating the world of FinTech recruitment, talent acquisition, or career planning, Charlotte’s insights offer an essential perspective on how to build better, more inclusive workplaces.

As a leading FinTech recruitment business, Harrington Starr is proud to promote conversations that challenge norms and offer practical insight into how FinTech jobs are evolving. This episode is not only a celebration of Charlotte’s success, but also a call to action for companies to rethink how they attract, support, and retain diverse talent.

Apprenticeships in FinTech: An Alternative Route into Financial Services Careers

Charlotte begins the episode by sharing how, at 18, she faced the daunting prospect of choosing between university and work. Rather than follow a conventional academic path, she chose to enter industry directly through an apprenticeship. She explains how the overwhelming cost of university, combined with a desire to learn on the job, led her to seek out a different way forward.

Her apprenticeship with Aon—then one of the world’s leading insurance brokers—offered her the unique opportunity to rotate through different departments and gain a holistic view of business operations. This experience allowed her to get under the skin of how products were built, how services were delivered, and how businesses engaged with customers.

In the context of FinTech recruitment, Charlotte’s decision speaks volumes. The industry’s reliance on traditional qualifications is beginning to loosen, and businesses are increasingly recognising the value of hands-on experience, agility, and diverse thinking. For recruitment professionals and hiring managers, it is crucial to widen the funnel through which talent is sourced. Apprenticeships, vocational training schemes, and early career mentoring programmes should be embraced as vital components of inclusive hiring strategies.

Charlotte’s early experience is a compelling case for investing in talent before it becomes ‘proven’. Her journey also illustrates the long-term value of giving young professionals visibility across departments, allowing them to build the strategic thinking and cross-functional understanding required for leadership roles in FinTech.

The Power of Being Heard: How Innovative Ideas Can Shape Careers in Technology

A pivotal moment in Charlotte’s career came during her time at Aon, when she pitched an idea that caught the attention of the CMO. At the time, the idea of using social media to attract high-net-worth clients was far from the norm. Yet Charlotte saw its potential and developed a campaign concept that was not only innovative but commercially viable.

Her idea was championed by the CMO, who was impressed by both her vision and initiative. He subsequently appointed her as his project coordinator, giving her rare access to executive-level conversations and allowing her to see how high-impact decisions were made.

This experience underlines a crucial lesson for both FinTech professionals and employers: talent does not always wear a suit and carry a decade of experience. Sometimes it’s the interns, apprentices, or junior staff who have the clearest view of what customers want or how technology can be applied. It’s about creating environments where ideas are welcomed and people are empowered to speak.

From a FinTech recruitment perspective, Charlotte’s story is a call to prioritise potential over pedigree. Recruiters and hiring managers should focus on competencies, curiosity, and creativity—traits often found in people from non-linear backgrounds. Companies must cultivate cultures where innovation is rewarded and where people from all walks of life can influence change.

From Aon to SAP: Building Expertise in FinTech Digital Transformation

After gaining visibility of the business and technological challenges at Aon, Charlotte’s career path led her to SAP. In this role, she focused on helping banks and financial institutions modernise their digital infrastructure. She became deeply involved in the transformation journeys of major players across financial services, developing a strong understanding of the systems, processes, and pain points associated with legacy technology.

Her time at SAP was instrumental in shaping her technical knowledge and product expertise. She worked on everything from core banking requirements to broader transformation strategies, always with a focus on how technology could improve the customer experience and operational resilience.

One of her most significant projects during this time was with Bank of London. In 2019, the bank was still in its conceptual stages, aiming to become the sixth principal clearing bank in the UK. Charlotte joined a team tasked with scoping out the bank’s digital foundation—including its payments infrastructure and product roadmap.

This moment marked another inflection point in her career. She found herself increasingly aligned with the bank’s mission and spending more time on the project than on her other client accounts. The opportunity to build something from the ground up, combined with her passion for innovation, made the decision to join Bank of London full-time an easy one.

Joining Bank of London: A FinTech Leadership Journey Rooted in Vision

Charlotte’s transition from consultant to founding team member at Bank of London is a powerful example of what happens when passion meets opportunity. She joined the bank as one of its earliest employees, drawn by the chance to make a tangible impact on an ambitious and disruptive venture.

In the three years since, she has played a central role in developing the bank’s product function, helping to shape everything from user experience to back-end architecture. As Chief Product Officer, she now leads the product strategy and delivery teams, ensuring that the bank’s services are fit for purpose, scalable, and customer-centric.

Her rise to CPO is a lesson in how to nurture and develop FinTech careers. It shows that with the right leadership, mentorship, and culture, someone who begins as an apprentice can go on to lead an entire function at one of the UK’s most ambitious banks. It also reaffirms the need for inclusive hiring and long-term talent investment in FinTech recruitment.

For those hiring into product leadership roles, Charlotte’s journey is a reminder that traditional routes to the C-suite are no longer the only pathways. FinTech is a sector defined by change, and the leaders of tomorrow will often be those who took unconventional paths, learned by doing, and grew with their businesses.

The Role of Mentorship and Sponsorship in FinTech Job Progression

Throughout the conversation, Charlotte credits much of her success to individuals who were willing to take a chance on her. From the CMO at Aon who saw potential in her social media strategy, to the teams at SAP and Bank of London who trusted her to lead, these relationships formed the backbone of her professional growth.

She speaks passionately about the importance of finding sponsors—leaders who will not only advocate for you but also create opportunities for you to step up. These people, she says, can be the difference between remaining unseen and rising into leadership.

This insight is especially important for FinTech recruitment professionals and hiring managers who want to build inclusive cultures. It’s not enough to simply hire diverse talent. Companies must actively support that talent through mentorship programmes, internal mobility, and leadership pathways.

Charlotte’s experience reinforces the point that careers are built not just on skills, but on support. For companies looking to retain their top performers and future-proof their leadership teams, investing in structured mentorship and development opportunities is essential.

Building a FinTech Career Without a Degree: A Changing Paradigm in Financial Services

Perhaps the most important takeaway from Charlotte’s story is that a university degree is not a prerequisite for success in FinTech. Her career was shaped by curiosity, hard work, strategic thinking, and the ability to seize opportunities when they appeared. These are the qualities that companies should be looking for—regardless of whether a candidate has an academic background.

In a sector that prides itself on innovation, the recruitment process must also evolve. At Harrington Starr, we work with clients who are increasingly open to candidates with varied experiences—whether that’s career switchers, returners, or self-taught technologists. What matters most is a commitment to growth and an ability to thrive in fast-paced, complex environments.

Charlotte’s story should serve as a case study for how FinTech firms can unlock new talent pools by removing outdated barriers to entry. This means not only rethinking job specifications but also adjusting interview techniques, onboarding processes, and progression models.

Conclusion: Rethinking FinTech Recruitment for the Future

Charlotte Bullock’s story is both inspiring and instructive. It shows what’s possible when a company sees potential, when individuals are given room to grow, and when leadership is redefined by impact rather than titles. Her path from apprentice to Chief Product Officer at Bank of London is proof that the FinTech industry can be accessible, inclusive, and transformative.

As a FinTech recruitment company, Harrington Starr is committed to sharing stories like Charlotte’s because they reflect the real potential within our sector. We believe in building workplaces where people from all backgrounds can thrive and where hiring is based on potential, performance, and passion.