FinTech Next: AI, Integrity & The Talent Shift
As FinTech shifts from AI experimentation to core execution, the key question for 2026 isn't just what AI can do, but who's responsible for it. This morning briefing tackles AI accountability and the fintech skills gap, covering:
Who's Accountable for AI?
When AI works, who gets the credit? When it doesn't, who takes responsibility?
AI is moving fast from experimentation to execution in financial services, shaping decisions, customer experience, and core processes. As its role grows, so does the question of where accountability sits.
This session brings fintech leaders together to explore what it takes to use AI responsibly: not just the technology, but the leadership, governance and people behind it. Drawing on LSIP findings and summit insights, we'll ask:
- Who owns AI? Where should accountability sit at executive level?
- What happens when it gets it wrong? How do firms balance automation with human oversight?
- Do we have the people to challenge it? What skills are needed to deploy, question and govern AI?
- How do we build capabilities sustainably? Can the industry build talent pipelines rather than compete for the same expertise?
As AI becomes core infrastructure, accountability can't be an afterthought. Adoption's next phase depends on having the leadership, governance and people to take responsibility for what it does.
About the Speakers:
Nicola Towse is the co-founder and CEO of Risqly, a Sheffield-based B2B SaaS platform that unifies CRM, billing, and product usage data into customer health scores with actionable next steps. Helping CS, RevOps, and fintech teams retain revenue and grow their existing customer base by spotting churn risks early. Prior to founding Risqly, she spent nearly ten years at Procter & Gamble. Nicola is currently part of the cohort for Sheffield Technology Parks’ Cooper Project tech incubator and Tech SY’s FoundHERy programme. She also serves as an Ambassador for both the Cooper Project and the South Yorkshire Black Tech Expo.
Macs Dickinson is Director of Engineering at LHV Bank where he built the engineering function from zero, through the bank’s 2023 UK licence, 2025 consumer launch, and now leads 50 engineers across retail, payments, banking services, and lending. Macs is OpenAI’s the Codex Ambassador for Leeds, speaking regularly about AI adoption in engineering teams.
Alice Pearce is VP People at Allica Bank, one of the UK’s fastest-growing fintechs and an AI-first challenger bank serving established British businesses. She leads Allica’s People function as the bank scales, building the culture, capability and leadership needed for responsible, high-performance growth. Before joining Allica, Alice spent three and a half years at Revolut, progressing to Head of HR UK and contributing to the work that secured its UK banking licence. An experienced people leader across technology, fintech and high-growth businesses, she is passionate about ensuring that AI strengthens, rather than diminishes, human judgement, trust and meaningful work.
An award-winning advisor and entrepreneur, with over 15 years in the financial services and tech industry. Kimberley hosts the popular Get Started podcast, chairs the Manchester Fintech committee and is a long-term mentor for Rise by Barclays,
Fintech Alliance and Fintech Circle. A regular on stage at events like Web Summit, Fintech Week London, Fintech Fringe, Finance Magnates and Fintech North, Kimberley’s insight also features in financial industry publications such as Fintech Magazine, Payments Expert, Verdict and The Fintech Power50 journal. Kimberley is board advisor to several exciting Fintech start-ups including ekko, Lemon and others soon to be announced
Lucas leads communications and external affairs at Zopa, the British digital bank pioneer trusted by 2 million customers.
Lucas joined Zopa in 2021 and, since then, has led multiple new product builds and launches, including Zopa’s award-winning current account, Biscuit. Driving a step-change in the bank’s profile, he quadrupled Zopa’s media coverage in the press and crafted the new narrative for its transition from a P2P lender to a fully regulated bank, including its profitability narrative. In 2025, he helped establish Jobs2030.ai, a 26-strong industry coalition upskilling 100,000 workers in GenAI disciplines.
Lucas has 20 years of on-the-record media experience leading communications and managing issues for VC backed, high growth technology firms in Europe and Silicon Valley. His career also spans national politics and journalism, giving him a sharp editorial instinct for shaping narratives and defining positioning at moments of consequence.
Interested In The Event?
If you’re interested in attending, you can book online here.
For any further enquires about this event, contact [email protected]
