UK names David Ferguson and Louise Smith as FinTech envoys for Scotland

The UK government has announced the appointment of new fintech envoys in Scotland to build regional and national fintech networks and leverage the UK fintech boom.

Simon Kirby, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, announced that David Ferguson, CEO of Nucleus, and Louise Smith, Head of Design in Personal and Business Banking at the Royal Bank of Scotland, have been appointed as the government’s new FinTech envoys for Scotland.

“I’m delighted that David and Louise have agreed to become the government’s FinTech envoys for Scotland. Their in-depth knowledge of the industry and excellent reputations make them the right people to drive forward positive change and allow Scottish FinTech to flourish”, Kirby said.

According to the official announcement, Kirby is visiting Nucleus on his first trip to Edinburgh to sign the terms of reference with the new FinTech envoys and discuss the needs of the Scottish FinTech industry going forward.

“It is a great privilege to have been picked to help support the continued growth of FinTech in the UK. Over 10 years ago we embarked on our mission to challenge the established industry. With technology and transparency at the heart of our thinking, we’ve been fortunate enough to become a successful and profitable player in what we now call FinTech”, David Ferguson, CEO of Nucleus, said.

Scotland’s fintech sector is currently brimming with commercial opportunity and introducing two FinTech envoys will help to build a broader, supportive ecosystem that will support the overall growth of the sector. As the founder of Scotland’s most successful fintech company and the executive with the knowledge of how banks undertake digital transformation, Ferguson and Smith are well placed to propel Scotland’s ecosystem in to its next phase, the statement said.

“I’m honoured to take on the joint role of envoy for Scottish FinTech with David and incredibly excited about developing Scotland as a FinTech Centre of Excellence”, Smith said.