The Power of Allyship

The Power of Allyship in FinTech: Building Inclusion Beyond the Tick-Box

Recorded live at the Allyship in Action: Empowering Women in Payments 2025 event, this special episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions brings together Nadia, Chief Customer Officer at Harrington Starr, and Vic Martin, Head of Compliance at SumUp, to explore what authentic allyship looks like in practice.

The conversation, set against the backdrop of a live audience, examines how small, intentional acts can have a transformational effect on individuals, teams, and the broader FinTech ecosystem. As Nadia reminds listeners, FinTech’s DEI Discussions is about celebrating the wins, raising awareness of challenges, and walking the talk for inclusive change, and this episode demonstrates exactly that.

How Allyship Sparked a Career in FinTech

Vic Martin began her journey into compliance not through traditional routes but through the power of allyship itself. Originally an executive assistant in a male-dominated firm, she sought a new professional path. During an interview for a role she ultimately didn’t get, one of the interviewers, a formidable former FCA leader, saw something in her and chose to act as an ally.

Rather than letting rejection define the moment, this woman introduced Vic to new contacts, opening doors into NatWest and helping her build a network that would reshape her career. That experience became Vic’s foundation for understanding allyship, proof that supporting someone’s potential can change not only a career trajectory but also the diversity and creativity of an entire organisation.

For a FinTech industry driven by innovation, this story highlights a key truth for hiring and leadership: allyship begins with recognising skills in people who might not fit the “typical” profile. For those in FinTech recruitment, this underscores why inclusive hiring practices lead to stronger teams and longer-term retention.

Why Allyship Strengthens FinTech Companies and Customers

Throughout the episode, Vic emphasises that allyship isn’t just good for individuals, it’s vital for business success. When teams are made up of people with similar backgrounds and experiences, their products inevitably reflect that sameness. For FinTech firms serving global, diverse customers, that lack of perspective can result in missed opportunities and blind spots in product design, compliance, and user experience.

Promoting diversity and inclusion in FinTech ensures that companies don’t just build innovative technology but also create tools that serve their full target market. Allyship also makes employees feel valued and supported, encouraging them to stay longer and contribute more meaningfully.

Vic frames allyship as an essential part of nurturing the next generation, not limited to women’s networks, but extending across backgrounds, disciplines, and identities. True inclusion, she argues, happens when firms proactively bring new perspectives into the workforce and create cultures where those perspectives are celebrated.

FinTech Leadership and the Responsibility to Create Allyship

When Nadia asks whether allyship is something anyone can practise, Vic responds that everyone must take responsibility for it. Too often in FinTech, she explains, the same small circle of professionals dominates events and discussions. Breaking that cycle requires leaders and colleagues alike to carve out time to connect with others, mentor emerging talent, and include voices that have historically been overlooked.

For FinTech leaders, this means allyship can’t be treated as an optional extra or a side project. It’s not a tick-box exercise or something to squeeze in “when time allows”. It’s a responsibility embedded in daily interactions, from offering guidance and introductions to advocating for colleagues in rooms where decisions are made.

This message resonates strongly for FinTech recruitment specialists: allyship and inclusive leadership go hand in hand. Firms that actively create space for allyship attract and retain better talent, foster collaboration, and build reputations as progressive workplaces that people want to join.

Moving Beyond Diversity Quotas: Real Change in FinTech Boards

Vic’s passion for authentic inclusion is matched by her frustration with performative gestures. Diversity quotas, she argues, too often become a numbers game. Companies focus on filling a set percentage of board seats with women or under-represented groups but fail to embed meaningful change in culture or succession planning.

True FinTech workplace diversity must go deeper. Succession planning at both board and senior management levels should focus on cultivating new leaders through mentorship, exposure, and development opportunities. Companies must ask themselves not only who sits at the table but how they got there and who will follow them.

She also challenges the way many firms treat allyship as a marketing asset, a paragraph on a careers page or a set of values in an HR handbook, rather than something integrated into organisational DNA. For FinTech, an industry sometimes criticised for “bro-culture”, allyship must start from the bottom up, influencing how teams collaborate, how promotions are earned, and how respect is demonstrated day to day.

Representation and the FinTech Boardroom Challenge

Examining boardroom demographics across high-growth FinTech firms and upcoming IPOs, Vic observes that representation remains heavily skewed towards men. Even when women do secure board seats, it’s often the same individuals serving across multiple companies, creating a narrow pool of perspectives.

To address this, Vic suggests building networks for women and others interested in board positions to learn about becoming Non-Executive Directors (NEDs). These networks could offer skills training, confidence building, and access to mentors who demystify the process.

She also highlights the lack of accountability for firms that fail to meet diversity expectations. Regulatory bodies such as the FCA may set guidelines for gender representation, but enforcement remains weak. Until regulators, investors, or boards themselves take tangible action, progress will remain slow.

For FinTech recruitment and leadership development, Vic’s point is clear: the industry needs more intentional pathways for diverse professionals to reach senior levels, not just symbolic gestures or public-relations-friendly appointments.

Confidence, Imposter Syndrome, and the Ally’s Role

Another recurring theme is confidence. Vic acknowledges that many women, even high performers, struggle with imposter syndrome, while men are often more comfortable promoting their achievements. A mentor once told her that some people possess a “bullshit tolerance” that allows them to self-promote without hesitation, while others undersell their impact.

Nadia adds that visibility in the workplace often comes down to who talks the loudest rather than who delivers the most value. Together, they highlight how allyship can bridge that gap: leaders and peers who actively recognise contributions can help talented professionals gain the confidence they deserve.

Vic encourages managers to help their teams document achievements and celebrate them openly. Encouraging people to keep a record of their successes, even something as simple as a “wins” folder in their inbox, helps them reflect on their growth and advocate for themselves more effectively.

In FinTech recruitment, where high-performing teams depend on diverse perspectives and self-belief, fostering this kind of empowerment is key. Allies who promote others create ripple effects that benefit entire organisations.

Mentorship and Networking: The Engine of Inclusive FinTech Growth

Throughout her career, Vic has seen the transformative power of mentorship, but she insists it’s a two-way relationship. Being a mentee requires initiative: identifying mentors, reaching out boldly, and driving those conversations with purpose. She admits she’s “absolutely shameless” about approaching people she admires, and encourages others to do the same.

Equally, mentors should approach relationships with structure and clarity, asking mentees what outcomes they want to achieve. Maintaining contact and checking in regularly keeps the relationship alive and ensures knowledge sharing continues over time.

Vic also stresses the importance of connecting people across different disciplines and sectors. Whether in big banks or fast-moving FinTechs, she takes pride in introducing professionals whose skills complement each other, a practice that strengthens the overall ecosystem.

For FinTech recruitment businesses like Harrington Starr, this insight is invaluable. Strong networks and mentorship pipelines aren’t just personal development tools; they’re strategic assets that fuel innovation and retention. Creating opportunities for people to connect, learn, and support one another builds loyalty and trust, both critical in a competitive hiring landscape.

Economic Diversity: Expanding Opportunity in FinTech Careers

The discussion then shifts to a lesser-explored aspect of diversity: socioeconomic background. Nadia cites a striking statistic, as of 2020, over 42 percent of senior roles in the City were held by privately educated white men, even though only around 6 percent of UK schoolchildren attend private schools.

Vic points out that this imbalance isn’t just about privilege; it’s about access to networks. Private schools teach students the value of building and maintaining connections, a lesson rarely emphasised in state schools. To counter this, she suggests developing stronger alumni networks for state-educated professionals who have succeeded in FinTech, allowing them to return, share experiences, and inspire new talent.

She also advocates for more apprenticeships and internships as pathways into FinTech, especially for those who might not pursue university. At SumUp, Vic’s team has removed the requirement for a university degree for compliance roles, a deliberate step toward inclusion. She argues that many formal qualifications add little practical value compared with real-world judgment and experience.

One of her team members, for example, transitioned from journalism in the boxing industry into compliance and has thrived for six years. That unconventional background, she says, brings fresh thinking to problem-solving, a reminder that transferable skills can enrich any FinTech business.

For firms focused on FinTech recruitment, this story illustrates the need to look beyond CVs and degree requirements. Hiring for mindset, adaptability, and potential is how the industry will uncover the next wave of innovators.

Reimagining Learning and Development in FinTech

Vic compares traditional education models with hands-on professional training. Having completed a law degree herself, she reflects that most of what she learned wasn’t practically useful. The legal sector’s move toward apprenticeship routes, where young professionals learn on the job, could offer a valuable blueprint for FinTech too.

This kind of experiential learning, combined with mentoring and exposure to diverse perspectives, creates a workforce that’s both skilled and self-aware. For fast-scaling FinTechs that rely on agility and problem-solving, this approach to learning is more effective than formal qualifications alone.

It’s a powerful insight for FinTech recruitment specialists: employers that invest in real-world development pathways not only widen their candidate pools but also cultivate loyalty among employees who feel genuinely invested in.

What Effective Allyship Programmes Look Like in FinTech

When asked about company programmes that support allyship, Vic draws a sharp contrast between initiatives that succeed and those that fail. She recalls one large bank’s “women’s development” programme that cost half a million pounds but delivered little beyond paperwork and buzzwords. It targeted senior women already established in their careers and lacked practical skill-building or confidence training, an example of allyship reduced to branding.

By contrast, she praises FinTech firms for their agility and creativity in creating smaller, more flexible networking events that cut across departments and companies. These gatherings foster real conversations and idea-sharing, whether between compliance professionals, engineers, or marketers.

Vic references a previous collaboration between several FinTechs, including Octopus Investments, that successfully united professionals from different backgrounds to learn from one another. Although smaller companies may lack the budgets of large banks, their ability to adapt and prioritise authentic connection can make their allyship programmes more impactful.

For hiring managers and FinTech leaders, the lesson is clear: allyship doesn’t require huge investment, just genuine intent and consistent action.

Time, Investment, and the Everyday Acts That Matter

Both Nadia and Vic acknowledge the practical barriers: limited time, tight budgets, constant pressure to deliver. Yet, as they agree, giving employees time to attend events, learn, and network is itself an act of allyship. Allowing people space to develop their professional networks and learn from others pays dividends in creativity, morale, and retention.

FinTech leaders who make allyship part of business planning, scheduling time for mentorship, development, and inclusion activities, signal that it’s not secondary to productivity but central to it. For recruitment, this approach builds employer brands that attract candidates who care about culture as much as compensation.

Vic shares examples of her own allyship efforts at SumUp, from cross-industry networking meetups to mentoring colleagues in Lithuania. These small, consistent actions, she explains, often have the biggest impact, giving someone the confidence to take a new opportunity, speak up, or lead a project.

Taking Ownership: The Future of Allyship in FinTech

As the conversation closes, Vic leaves the audience with a clear message: allyship isn’t something to wait for or delegate. It begins with ownership. Each of us has the power to support a colleague, make an introduction, or offer encouragement.

Reflecting on her own journey, she emphasises how much difference a single supportive person made to her career. For her, allyship is worth its weight in gold, a simple human connection that can transform someone’s trajectory and, collectively, reshape the FinTech industry.

Nadia ends the session with a reminder of the podcast’s core mission: to listen, learn, and walk the talk for diversity, equity, and inclusion in financial technology.

Building Inclusive Futures Through FinTech Recruitment

This episode of FinTech’s DEI Discussions offers an honest, practical view of how real allyship can elevate individuals and strengthen organisations. From breaking down outdated hierarchies to widening access for those from under-represented or non-traditional backgrounds, Vic Martin’s insights illustrate what it takes to turn intention into action.

For FinTech recruitment businesses like Harrington Starr, her message reinforces why inclusive hiring practices and leadership development matter. By helping companies recruit with empathy, nurture diverse potential, and embed allyship into everyday culture, the entire industry moves closer to a future where innovation truly reflects the people it serves.