Georgia Hanias

Head of Global Communications at Innovate Finance

London, England

@GeorgiaHanias | LinkedIn Profile

Please describe your ‘journey’ from a large-scale PR Firm to Innovate Finance. What influenced your decision to join? How do you find the cultural and/or work environment to be different?

I’ve had a unique and exciting career in technology and the media. For over ten years I ran my own consultancy and worked with companies on their PR initiatives. During that time I also worked as a journalist and had the opportunity to write articles and produce documentaries around the world in places such as Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It was an exciting and creative time, and my extensive travel brought the realization that the answer to much of the world’s problems was accessibility to finance. Poverty undermines people’s ability to create a future for themselves. But if you can give people access to money, their lives and mental well being are transformed. I saw how mobile phones and payments and other types of basic FinTech was changing lives and thought this was the kind of work that I could support in some way through PR and journalism. I stopped working for myself once my children were old enough to attend school and joined a prestigious PR firm in the financial hub of London. It provided a great opportunity to access the world of finance and to work with many interesting FinTech startups. During my time there, I saw the impact of new innovations on the transformation of the existing financial services sector – which was broken and unsustainable for future generations. I left the agency because I wanted to devote all my time to FinTech innovations – there was so much happening in our sector! Also, I wanted to be in a progressive environment where the convention wasn’t the norm; where it was all about shaking things up, reforming traditional models and making things better. When I came to the official launch event of Innovate Finance I couldn’t believe that Chancellor George Osborne was there. He came to show his support for the FinTech community and affirm that the government would do all it could to nurture its growth. The excitement and enthusiasm in the room was infectious and I realised then and there that this is where I belong – not at a conservative PR firm in the city!

You stated it is an exciting time to be a woman in the FinTech space? What factors drive this? Is this especially true in London?

This is an incredible time for women in the FinTech space because so much is happening around us and it’s relevant to our future. Money matters to everyone –and so should banking. Why should women stand back and not play a role in creating a better financial services system for future generations? The doors are open to us now – employers want more women to work for organisations and many men in the sector are doing all they can to promote a more diverse workforce in FinTech too. Innovate Finance was launched by a female CEO that championed gender equality in FinTech and our new CEO is committed to supporting diversity as well. We are a great organisation that realises that keeping talent in the workforce means giving them the space to balance their lives.

You stated your first passion is journalism and the ‘human story’. How does this relate to FinTech and your role at Innovate Finance?

FinTech is about transforming lives through finance. It’s about giving people access to financial services so they realise their dreams and their potential. Whether it’s getting funding for a new business, buying a home or paying for university, finance gives us the foundation to create a better life for ourselves. We at Innovate Finance believe that by supporting the new era of entrepreneurs, innovators and bankers, we can create a brighter future for consumers. FinTech has a human face. It’s all about the individual who has struggled to get good service at a bank and managed to achieve something through alternative finance. It’s the journey from nothing to something that’s so compelling and interesting – and which journalists love as well. Stories like the one about the Italian grannies that crowdfunded their very first holiday to the sea and of the residents of rural Kenya that have more time to look after their businesses and families because they use mPesa mobile money and no longer spend hours going into town to the bank. FinTech is a grassroots movement that’s making a big impact on both individual communities and the world at large – and that’s bringing humanity into the banking sector.

How would you describe the culture at Innovate Finance?

The culture of Innovate Finance is like any young organisation. We are a small and dynamic team that works hard and gets a lot done – despite our size and budget. We all believe in what we are trying to achieve and are motivated by the belief that we can play a role in democratising finance and making the sector better for everyone. The hours can be long, but there’s also a lot of flexibility. Our CEO is a firm believer in work-life balance and if we need to work from home a few days a week, that’s fine. We are not judged on how long we spend in the office but on the quality of our work and the impact it has on our members and the sector as a whole.

How important a factor is work / life balance and flex time for companies trying to attract and retain women talent, especially in FinTech? What has been your personal experience?

FinTech is a great sector because it’s about shaking up the status quo and changing existing business models – which includes the way we work. Innovate Finance has been a terrific environment for me because I have the flexibility to get the job done and to have a family life too. When I need to work long hours I’ll do it – but I’m also respected if I need to work from home. I’m judged for the work I’m doing, regardless of whether it’s done in the office or in my living room.

You noted the quote by Madeline Albright concerning a “special place in hell for women who don’t support women.” What has your experience been like as far as women leaders / mentors?

I have had some great women leaders helping me in my career journey – mostly from Canada and the U.S. – but I also have had others that didn’t want to support my career advancement, especially here in Europe. This has always been my biggest disappointment. We can’t change things for future generations if we don’t support the women that are trying to make a difference now. I never put up with these people. I worked for myself for many years and left the businesses that didn’t encourage my career growth or give me the flexibility to balance my work and home life. I always make a point to tell the women that let me down that they have done so, in the hopes that they won’t do it again to others.

What do you see as the three leading future trends for FinTech?

Future trends in FinTech are innovations in mobile payments, big data and blockchain. These things will transform the way we bank, engage with consumers and store data.

Who do you consider to be strong women leaders in the banking / FinTech space?

There are many leading lights in the FinTech sector including Claire Cockerton, founding CEO of Innovate Finance, Julia Groves, CEO of the Trillion Fund, Claire Flynn Levy, CEO at Essential Analytics, Bindi Karia, the ‘Queen of the Startups,’ Louise Beaumont, GLI Finance and Eileen Burbidge, parter at VC firm Passion Capital. They each have a unique and exciting approach to engaging with the FinTech world that I deeply admire and they are all making history with their ideas, leadership and innovations.

 

About Innovate Finance:

Innovate Finance is an independent not-for-profit membership organisation serving the global FinTech community. It aims to accelerate the UK’s position as the number one global hub for FinTech by directly supporting the next era of technology-led financial services innovators and entrepreneurs. Together they are bringing new financial products and services to consumers — and enhancing the diversity, resilience and inclusiveness of the sector.

Founded in 2014, Innovate Finance has attracted more than 120 members ranging from seed startups to major global financial institutions.

Innovate Finance is the only industry body dedicated to the UK’s FinTech community. It serves as a single access point to the full financial services and technology ecosystem and – through its curated innovation programmes and partnerships with other organisations – connects members to policymakers, regulators, investors, customers, educators, talent and key commercial partners.