Rebuilding FinTech from the Inside Out

Rethinking Inclusion and Innovation in FinTech

In this powerful live-recorded episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions, host Nadia Edwards-Dashti sits down with Liz Lumley, an award-winning journalist, podcaster, keynote speaker, moderator, and all-round FinTech expert. The conversation was captured at Pay360 2025 and discusses the intricate layers of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in financial technology, the complexity of the payments ecosystem, and the systemic changes still required to make FinTech truly inclusive.

As a FinTech staffing business, Harrington Starr champions authentic inclusion and diverse hiring in the industry. We know that real innovation is built on diverse perspectives and equitable workplace cultures. This episode brings together decades of industry knowledge and unfiltered truth, challenging tokenistic efforts and calling for structural reform in FinTech staffing, leadership, and policy-making.

The Evolution of FinTech Journalism and a 30-Year Journey

Liz Lumley opens the episode by reflecting on her impressive 30-year career in the FinTech space, which began in 1994. Originally working as a journalist focused on how banks and financial institutions adopted technology and handled data, she was present at the rise of what we now call the FinTech revolution. Over the years, she has tracked the evolution of the sector, including emerging technologies, digital payments, and the critical role of data. Most recently, Liz held a position at The Banker for three years before choosing the freedom of freelance journalism.

This depth of experience allows Liz to speak with authority and nuance on FinTech trends and challenges. As someone who has seen the sector evolve from the inside, she brings a unique lens to the current state of inclusion and innovation.

Payments in FinTech: The Great Leveller or the Most Misunderstood Function?

As the conversation shifts to payments, Liz offers a powerful analogy that defines much of the discussion. Payments, she explains, are often perceived as a simple function—tapping your phone to make a purchase or splitting a bill through an app. But in truth, the payments industry is deeply complex. Liz compares it to an iceberg: the visible part is user interaction, but beneath the surface lies a vast, intricate system of regulations, processes, and infrastructures.

She argues that because payments are one of the most universal elements of finance—even people without formal bank accounts still participate in payment systems—many entrepreneurs have wrongly assumed they could easily disrupt or improve it. Startups flooded into the payments space thinking it was ripe for revolution, but most underestimated the true complexity of global payments. From compliance to cross-border infrastructure, the reality of payments is far from straightforward.

This insight is crucial for FinTech recruitment professionals and technology businesses. Understanding the depth of the payments space is essential when hiring product managers, compliance experts, developers, and data specialists who can navigate these layers of complexity.

The Super Wallet Debate: Convenience Versus Caution

One of the hottest topics at Pay360 2025 was super wallets—apps that house not only payment options but also personal data, ID, and health information. Liz shares that she sat on a panel discussing this topic and challenged the dominant pro-super wallet narrative. While most panellists and audience members appeared enthusiastic about the efficiency and consolidation these apps offer, Liz raised concerns about security, ethics, and personal autonomy.

Though she acknowledges the appeal of using her phone to pay for things, she questions whether it is wise to centralise every element of one’s identity and data into a single corporate-owned platform. She points out a critical contradiction: while people often distrust government-issued digital ID systems, they seem much more comfortable with tech giants like Google or Apple collecting and storing their data.

This, Liz argues, is a dangerous dichotomy. Convenience should never eclipse safety, and conversations about digital wallets must include questions about data ownership, regulation, and digital ethics. As a FinTech recruitment agency, Harrington Starr often works with firms developing digital wallets and financial infrastructure. Ensuring ethical considerations are embedded into hiring and product roadmaps is vital for long-term success.

Trust as the Cornerstone of Financial Services

Expanding on this theme, Liz notes that banks have survived and remained central to the financial system not because of customer affection, but because of trust. Regulations, compliance frameworks, and decades of public accountability have built this trust. As FinTech companies push for convenience and speed, she warns that removing or bypassing regulations in pursuit of simplicity puts consumer safety at risk.

This is especially important in FinTech hiring. The future of FinTech depends on professionals who understand both innovation and governance. Whether hiring for compliance roles, cybersecurity, or product strategy, businesses must prioritise candidates who can balance cutting-edge development with long-term trust and ethical standards.

What Inclusion Means in FinTech: “Inclusion is Success”

Liz’s definition of inclusion is simple yet powerful: “Inclusion is success.” She explains that the most successful businesses are those that integrate people from different contexts, backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. Far too often, she says, businesses use the phrase “diversity of thought” as a way to avoid hiring people from underrepresented backgrounds. Real diversity of thought, she argues, comes from hiring people who have lived different lives—not just people who agree to disagree.

She challenges the idea that DEI can be achieved through cosmetic gestures or token hires. The real work, she insists, lies in systemic reform—rethinking hiring pipelines, leadership structures, bonus frameworks, and workplace culture. It’s about dismantling existing power structures, which have historically been dominated by white men, and rebuilding them with equity in mind.

For companies seeking to build inclusive teams, FinTech staffing must focus not only on skills but also on equity, potential, and context. Harrington Starr works closely with clients to ensure their hiring practices reflect the inclusive values that lead to stronger, more successful organisations.

The Corporate DEI Backslide: From Surface-Level Commitments to Silence

A particularly striking moment in the conversation occurs when Nadia reflects on a previous discussion the two had in 2022. Companies, under public or political pressure, are openly pulling back from diversity programmes.

Liz sees this as proof that many DEI initiatives were performative from the beginning—public relations exercises rather than structural commitments. True inclusion, she says, involves asking hard questions about power and privilege. If a leadership team all looks the same—often white, male, and middle-class—then something is deeply wrong.

This rollback poses a serious risk to FinTech’s future. Without inclusive structures, the industry will lose talent, credibility, and innovation. As a FinTech staffing partner, Harrington Starr continues to advocate for lasting inclusion—not just in branding, but in boardrooms and beyond.

Real Stories of Inclusion and Exclusion in FinTech Workplaces

Throughout the episode, Liz shares moving and sometimes painful anecdotes that bring the conversation to life. She recalls organising a mobile banking event in 2012 that, apart from herself, featured no women speakers. At the time, no one noticed. But looking back, Liz recognizes it as a failure of awareness. That moment marked a turning point in how she viewed representation and inclusion in the workplace.

She also shares a story about a colleague on the autism spectrum who relied on having a consistent workspace, headphones, and routine. When a new manager introduced hot-desking to encourage collaboration, it unintentionally disrupted his working environment and wellbeing. This story highlights the importance of neurodiversity and listening to employees' individual needs.

In another example, Liz remembers working with a FinTech accelerator programme that had weekly pub meetups. Concerned about the inclusion of a Muslim founder from Egypt, she considered cancelling the event. But to her surprise, he was not only happy to attend, but also took part enthusiastically. This moment helped her realise how personal bias—even when well-meaning—can lead to exclusion.

These stories underline a core truth: inclusion is not about assuming what people need, but about listening, learning, and evolving. These lessons are vital in staffing, onboarding, team building, and leadership development.

Walking the Talk: FinTech’s Responsibility to Lead on Inclusion

To close the episode, Nadia invites Liz to share practical advice for those trying to advance inclusion in their day-to-day roles. Liz’s guidance is clear: be aware, be curious, and be honest. If you look around and everyone in your leadership team looks the same, you must ask why—and do something about it. Inclusion starts with awareness but must be followed by action.

She also reminds listeners that FinTech was born out of disruption and innovation. The very premise of the industry is to reimagine old systems. So why hasn’t FinTech rethought outdated power dynamics? If we can reinvent global payments, why can’t we redesign hiring, leadership, and corporate culture?

At Harrington Starr, we believe that the time for surface-level DEI is over. Now is the time for authentic, transformative inclusion across the entire FinTech staffing landscape.

Building a Better Future Through Inclusive FinTech Staffing

This episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions is a wake-up call for the FinTech community. Liz Lumley’s candid reflections and powerful stories remind us that inclusion is not a checkbox or a trend—it is a prerequisite for success. Whether we’re building new products, hiring the next generation of FinTech leaders, or reimagining global payment infrastructure, inclusion must be at the core.

At Harrington Starr, we’re proud to partner with FinTech companies committed to doing better. We help businesses design inclusive hiring strategies, build diverse teams, and champion the voices that have too often been ignored.