Key Messages

“The report from Innovate Finance adds valuable insight to the immigration debate. What is clear is that the UK’s policy must be to attract and retain the skills the economy needs. UK FinTech, along with so many sectors, requires both flexible access to global talent as well as the continued development of skills at home. Companies need assurances that if they jump through all the regulatory and bureaucratic hoops they will be able to hire the talent they need to grow their business.” 

Pat Saini

Partner, Head of Immigration at Penningtons Manches LLP, and Chair of Immigration Working Group, Tech London Advocates

“ComplyAdvantage has operations all over the world but we choose to base our cutting edge machine learning research in London and the UK because of London’s ability to attract and educate the best global talent. Without the very best engineers, what we do and what UK RegTech does would not be possible. We very much hope that an enlightened talent policy will continue to ensure relentless innovation occurs and associated financial benefits accrue to the UK as a whole”.

Charlie Delingpole
Founder and CEO, ComplyAdvantage

“The most important resource for any growing business is talent. I welcome plans to improve the development of technical skills in the UK but flexible access to talent from overseas, both from within the EU and without, is critical for UK businesses.”

Giles Andrews
Co-founder and Chairman, Zopa

“As the CEO of one of the fastest growing FinTech companies in UK/Europe it is critical we are able to find top talent across Europe and the world. Not just tech talent but sales, support, operations, etc.  We are competing against FinTechs from the US, South America, mainland Europe, Asia and the Middle East, in order to compete the flexible access and continued focus on the development of talent is a must have”.

Ryan Farley
Chief Executive Officer, Judopay

“The FinTech sector in London has been growing at a staggering pace and is an industry which has benefitted from being able to hire the best talent domestically and from around the world.

With over 400 staff and 35 nationalities – including co-founders from France, Somaliland and Zimbabwe – WorldRemit would not exist without immigration. We believe deeply in the importance of immigration and support diversity both in business and in society”.

Catherine Wines
Co-founder, WorldRemit

“The UK FinTech and Technology sectors are integral to the growth of the UK Economy. Currently we don’t have enough skilled Tech workers to keep up with that demand. In the short term, we therefore need access to global talent AND we need continued development of local skills.

In short, UK business needs to collaborate much more closely with education and policy-makers to ensure we have access to the skilled people we need – and to stay relevant as a global voice”.

Ellie Romer-Lee
VP People, Onfido

“The UK remaining a hub for flexible talent, both globally and domestically, is crucial to FinTechs like Moneyfarm being able to scale. We’ve certainly seena reduction in applications from Europe – likely die to Brexit concnerns. Immigration restrictions could further fuel this and lead to larger companies acquiring the best talent.”

Giovanni Dapra

CEO, Moneyfarm

“There is a danger that access to skilled workers from Europe will be reduced after March 2019, which puts talent on everyone’s radar. The FinTech sector, academia and the government are all tying to find ways to plug the growing skills gap, but we can achieve more if everyone collaborates with each other.”

Niels Turfboer

“The report from Innovate Finance adds valuable insight to the immigration debate. What is clear is that the UK’s policy must be to attract and retain the skills the economy needs. UK FinTech, along with so many sectors, requires both flexible access to global talent as well as the continued development of skills at home. Companies need assurances that if they jump through all the regulatory and bureaucratic hoops they will be able to hire the talent they need to grow their business.” 

Pat Saini

Partner, Head of Immigration at Penningtons Manches LLP, and Chair of Immigration Working Group, Tech London Advocates