Judging Panel 2025
Jonathan Easton, Editor, FStech
Dr Anino Emuwa, Founder and Managing Director, Avandis Consulting
Mark Evans, Publishing Director, FStech
Chiedozie Hez, Founder/CEO, ChakaPay
Janthana Kaenprakhamroy, CEO, Tapoly
Ian Kilpatrick, Entrepreneur, Founder of the Wick Hill Group, Director at Stem Generations, Strategic advisor at Nuvias Group, Author, Speaker and Consultant
Joe McHale, Investor, Finch Capital
Ian McKenna, Director, Financial Technology Research Centre
Yusuf Ozdalga, Partner, QED Investors
Nick Rudd, Director of Consulting, MMT
Dr Anino Emuwa, Founder and Managing Director, Avandis Consulting
Dr Anino Emuwa is the founder and Managing Director of Avandis Consulting, a strategy and financial advisory firm in France. A former corporate banker with Citibank, she has extensive international corporate governance experience, sits on the board of Nottingham Trent University, U.K and chairs a Y Combinator-backed tech start-up.
Anino is a global expert on DE& I and convenes global and regional women’s networks including 100 Women@Davos with a focus on entrepreneurship, emerging technology and sustainability.
Anino earned her Doctorate in Business Administration from Nottingham Business School, holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management and a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.
Mark Evans, Publishing Director, FStech
Mark has been in financial journalism for over 20 years, working in charity, technology, finance and retail. He is currently the Publishing Director of PPL. He holds a degree from Cardiff, an MA from Oxford Brookes and an MBA from Henley.
Chiedozie Hez, Founder/CEO, ChakaPay
Chiedozie is the Founder/CEO of ChakaPay®, financial services provider for higher education institutions. He is an award-winning FinTech Transformation Consultant and Speaker with over 15 years’ experience. He has worked with brands such as Visa, VocaLink - MasterCard, RBS, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Financial Conduct Authority and London Clearing House and delivered digital transformation projects. Chiedozie has successfully managed teams of up to 400 consultants and budgets of over £50m, delivering desired outcomes with high ROI and solving complex business problems across geographies using his 5D Transformation Model™. After successfully running UK BACS Payment Platform Maintenance for 2 years, he is now focusing on ChakaPay® and also helping FinTech Startups, big and small banks adopt new technology through proof of concepts, pilots and new product development.
Janthana Kaenprakhamroy, CEO, Tapoly
Janthana is the CEO of Tapoly, an acclaimed on-demand insurance provider for SMEs and freelancers. Recognized as Forbes' 6th Top Woman Founder to Watch and a Top 10 Insurtech Female Influencer by The Insurance Institute, she recently won Innovator of the Year at the UK Fintech Awards 2023 and Insurance Broker of the Year at the British Business Awards 2023. Janthana is also a board member at BIBA (British Insurance Brokers' Association) with a solid finance background from UBS, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, and BNP Paribas.
Ian Kilpatrick, Entrepreneur, Founder of the Wick Hill Group, Director at Stem Generations, Strategic advisor at Nuvias Group, Author, Speaker and Consultant
Ian’s roles include heading up the Nuvias cyber security practice, with overall responsibility for cyber security strategy, as well as being a Nuvias board member. He was one of the founding members of the Wick Hill Group, leading the company through its growth and development to become an international, value-added distributor focused on security. Wick Hill was acquired by Nuvias in July 2015. Ian is a thought leader, with a strong vision of the future in IT, focussing on business needs and benefits, rather than just technology. He is a published author, regular speaker at IT events, and business advisor. Before Wick Hill, Ian qualified as an accountant, was financial controller for a Fortune 50 company, and was a partner in a management consultancy.
Joe McHale, Investor, Finch Capital
Joe is a member of the investment team at Finch Capital, a leading European growth equity fund specializing in finance and business technology. As part of the investment team at Finch Capital, Joe is heavily involved in sourcing and evaluating new investment opportunities, as well as working closely with existing portfolio companies such as eflow Global. Joe has a background in Private Equity and holds a Master's degree in Economics from the London School of Economics.
Ian McKenna, Director, Financial Technology Research Centre
After working for insurance companies and financial advisers, including a decade at an independent advice firm he founded in 1995, Ian McKenna set up Financial Technology Research Centre anticipating the FinTech wave by well over a decade. In 2017 he established Digital Wealth Insights to provide consistent analysis of emerging WealthTech firms, with a particular focus on regulatory compliance and how such services expand consumer access to financial advice and guidance. Ian travels globally seeking out transformational WealthTech and AdviceTech solutions, as well as leading start-ups in the InsurTech and RegTech sectors.
Yusuf Ozdalga, Partner, QED Investors
Yusuf Ozdalga is London based Partner at QED Investors with a focus on European financial technology and consumer finance companies. Ozdalga joined QED in 2017, and his career has spanned roles as an operator, advisor, entrepreneur and investor. His current portfolio of investments include Wagestream, GetGround, Wayflyer, Fidel API and Weavr. He started his professional investing career in 2006 funding speciality finance and consumer credit companies in Europe, including early fintech plays such as some of the first online loan originators in Sweden. Prior to joining QED, Ozdalga was an Investment Director with a growth fund helping emerging companies and entrepreneurs build lasting consumer franchises by leveraging the power of data analytics.
Nick Rudd, Director of Consulting, MMT
As Director of Consulting at MMT, Nick Rudd helps our enterprise clients achieve their digital ambitions and realise the value of their innovation initiatives at speed and scale. Nick is an active advocate of sustained digital transformation and agile best practice, and is keen to connect with people who are looking to embrace technology and push the boundaries of digital engagement.
