Financial Services Council

Chris Knox

Global Director, Financial Services , Microsoft

I currently lead on Microsoft's regulatory strategy and global engagement with regulators and customers on existing and forthcoming Technology policy such as DORA and the UK CTP. As well as this external facing remit, I also work closely with Engineering, Legal and Marketing teams at Microsoft to help uplift our Technology stack, control environment, contracts and product positioning. I also represent Microsoft as part of various working groups such as those led by US Treasury (Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council (FISSC)), as well as presenting at various international bodies such as the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS).

Cindy van Niekerk

CEO, Umazi

Cindy van Niekerk is the founder and CEO of Umazi, a decentralised business identity platform that simplifies business verification and harnesses AI to streamline compliance. With over a decade in regulatory technology and financial services, she launched Umazi to facilitate access to financial services and global trade. Recent successes include guiding Umazi to winning the Isle of Man’s latest global Innovation Challenge for fintechs, which led to the formation of a cross-island Government-backed digital ID pilot reflecting improvements in national-level compliance.

A member of TechUK’s Financial Services Council, Cindy contributes to shaping financial regulation and technology and was recently named on the UK’s Women in Fintech Powerlist 2024 for her impact on technology innovation.

Previously, Cindy managed large IT regulatory projects for global banks, including JP Morgan, HSBC, Barclays, and Deutsche Bank, specialising in regulatory compliance, financial crime prevention, and digital transformation. She holds an Oxford Blockchain Strategy Certification, Anti-Money Laundering Certification and Developer Certification, reinforcing her decentralised identity and financial technology expertise.

Cindy’s mission is accelerating business identity verification, reducing compliance burdens, and improving financial accessibility.

Dr Christina Yan Zhang

CEO, The Metaverse Institute

Christina has 19 years’ experience working with UN leaders, government ministers, universities presidents, and Fortune 500 CEOs on innovation.

She is UN ITU Co-chair of Pre-standardisation for CitiVerse TaskGroup and authored 1st UN approved technical report on “People-Centered CitiVerse,” using AI to develop a people-centered, planet-friendly digital future, leading to international standards. This is supported by 18 UN agencies, including the World Bank, Interpol etc. She is working with financial institutions to develop a framework on financing city infrastructure projects.

Alongside the 73rd President of the UN General Assembly, she sits on Advisory Council for Centre for Science Futures of International Science Council, the world's largest science body of 250 national/international academies of sciences to advise on the impact of AI on Science. She sits on The Economist Impact’s “AI Economy” Advisory Board, examining AI’s global economic implications. She is regularly consulted by UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies.

Graham Drury

Director UKI FSI, Google

I started my career as a consultant / developer and spent a long time working with key market infrastructure providers such as Cedel / Clearstream and Liffe before moving to technology providers. I am now responsible for Google Cloud's sales and go to market activities across the UK financial services landscape.

Ian Stevens

Partner, UK FinTech Lead, Global Technology Group Lead, CMS

I’m a partner in global law firm CMS’s Tier 1 technology practice.  With over 25 years’ experience, I’m a trusted adviser to some of the largest global suppliers of cloud and other technology services, major financial services firms, and a wide range of scale-up and start-up fintech businesses, including members of the firm’s equIP incubator programme.  

I support clients in policy advocacy, interpreting and operationalising new regulations, standards and guidance impacting their infrastructure and operating models (including cyber security, operational resilience, data protection, open banking, cloud switching and artificial intelligence) and the commercialisation, procurement and supply of technology and data infrastructure and services.   

Isadora Arredondo

Global Policy Director, Hedera

I have over ten years of experience in financial services policy and regulation. I started my career in consulting (BCG and the Economist), before spending a number of years at the FCA. Mostly recently, I was an advisor to important Fintech, digital assets and retail banking players, helping them navigate regulation and policy. In Q4 2024, I joined Hedera as their new Global Policy Director, where I lead global strategy and engagement with regulators, policymakers and finance and technology leaders on the opportunities of DLT.

Jeremy Donaldson

Managing Director, FSI, UK&I, DXC Technology

Jeremy Donaldson is a highly experienced executive with an impressive track record of international success at the intersection of financial services and technology.  A strategy consultant by training, a former banker and former executive at IBM Global Services, he has spent 30+ years in client-facing consulting and general management leadership positions in North America, Southeast Asia, and the United Kingdom.  He has owned significant P&Ls, grown businesses, closed multi-million-dollar and multi-party deals, managed major business transformation programmes, held people management roles, and driven new business initiatives. 

Jeremy is a problem-solver and evangelist for technology-enabled business change who develops trusted relationships across complex stakeholder groups, brokers partnerships, builds coalitions, and secures support for mutually beneficial outcomes. He challenges organisations to be innovative, and he champions the integration of data, digital, AI and other technologies into business processes to support business outcomes: improved data management and reporting to drive better decision-making; increased business agility and operational resilience; improved client experiences; and enhanced security and risk management profiles.

Karan Jain

Founder and CEO, NayaOne

Karan Jain, Founder and CEO of NayaOne, a leading financial technology company that bridges the gap between financial institutions and the fintech ecosystem. Former CIO and recognised as a Top 30 CIO in the UK. Karan is a multi-disciplinary CXO with over 20 years of experience and expertise in delivering products to market, strategy, building platforms, and developing and leading high-performing teams. Third-time entrepreneur with an in-depth understanding of the finance and tech ecosystem. Karan serves as an advisor to Trade Associations, Regulatory Working Groups and Think Tanks as a subject matter expert and growth advisor.

Ksenia Duxfield-Karyakina

Managing Director (Partner), Technology Policy , Forefront Advisers

Ksenia is a public policy expert with a career spanning financial services and technology, with a particular focus on the intersection of finance and digital regulation. She has worked across the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Emerging Markets, advising business executives and engineering leaders on regulatory engagement strategies, risk governance for technology adoption in the financial sector, AI, data governance, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

As a Managing Partner at Forefront Advisers, Ksenia leads the firm’s technology policy practice in the UK and EU, working with institutional investors and industry leaders across the financial and technology sectors. Her major focus is on helping organisations navigate and assess the risks of the evolving technology policy landscape - as it impacts their business priorities and investment portfolios - in the shifting geopolitical context.

Prior to joining Forefront, Ksenia headed public policy and regulatory affairs for Google Cloud in Europe, focusing on highly regulated sectors, including financial services. She led Google Cloud’s advocacy and regulatory engagement on the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and the UK’s Critical Third Party regime, while also supporting internal compliance preparedness efforts.

Earlier in her career, Ksenia served as Head of Public Policy for YouTube across Asia-Pacific and Eurasia, based in Hong Kong and Moscow.

Ksenia began her professional journey in financial services, working on anti-fraud and financial crime policy within the OECD ecosystem and the Russian banking sector.

She holds a PhD in new media economics and is a trained journalist. Outside of work, she is a parent to two daughters, an art lover, and an avid reader of (paper) books.

Lilia Christofi

EMEA Data and AI Financial Services Partner, PwC UK

Lilia Christofi is a consulting leader with over 20 years of multinational experience, specialising in strategic customer transformations across industries and geographies. As PwC UK’s EMEA Financial Services Data and AI Partner, she brings deep expertise in leading high-impact programmes — having held CIO and FSI EMEA Customer Transformation Leader roles on projects valued up to $5 billion. Her work spans both public and private sectors, with a strong focus on Financial Services and Health & Life Sciences. Lilia is recognised for aligning business strategy with advanced technology to deliver measurable value at scale.

Michael Jefferson

Head of Financial Services Public Policy UK, Africa, Middle East & Switzerland , Amazon Web Services (AWS)

I am head of Financial Services Public Policy UK, Africa, Middle East and Switzerland at AWS and also lead on engagement with international bodies such as the Financial Stability Board (FSB). This means I work with customers and am responsible for policy and engagement for issues relating to adoption and use of cloud across the finance sector - including those innovative and growing companies that make up techUK's membership. Prior to AWS I have experience working in policy and engagement roles across technology, trade associations, investment banking and the UK Government - so I am well placed to give a perspective on policy development and impact of regulatory changes relating to technology in financial services.

Nadav Mordechai

Director of Product & Strategy, Elsewhen

Nadav is a product and people leader with 15+ years of experience. He enables companies to design and launch new products, transform their working methods, and streamline complex business processes. Combining industry and consulting experience, Nadav helped JPMorgan, CapitalFlow, UMTB, Zego, LMAX, Octopus, Spotify and many others to reach new heights by developing outstanding digital experiences.

Prakash Kerai

Partner, Gateley

I've been advising on FinTech since before it was called 'FinTech'!  I advise on commercial contracts & arrangements with specialisms in Technology and FinTech.  I head-up the FinTech offering at Gateley, as well as Gateley’s Blockchain, Digital Assets, & Crypto offering.  I'm passionate about all these areas, and believe that proactive industry and regulator engagement is key to ensuring the best for the UK, businesses, and consumers.  techUK's Financial Services Council can, and should, play a big role in this.

Russell Antram

Senior Manager UK&I, Government Engagement, Visa Europe

- Head up Visa's policy and engagement strategy with political and regulatory stakeholders in the UK.

- Former Head of Brexit at the Confederation of British Industry.

- Prior experience working for an MEP in Brussels and two MPs in Westminster.

Sam Adekunle

Startup Programmes Lead, Datamellon

I started my career helping fintech startups navigate the complexities of payments, ensuring they could scale effectively. Later, as a presales engineering lead at Bancore (Denmark), I worked with fintechs to integrate card payment APIs and expand their reach. Over the years, I’ve been deeply involved in cross-border payments, blockchain, and Web3, shaping new financial standards.

Today, I focus on empowering SMEs and startups by helping them leverage cloud infrastructure to scale their financial services and deliver faster, more efficient solutions to their customers.

Sara de la Torre

Head of Financial Services and Insurance, Dun & Bradstreet

I am the Head of Banking and Financial Services at Dun & Bradstreet, responsible for the strategy and market activity in the sector. I am a thought leader and work with financial institutions and the industry ecosystem to maximise an unprecedented opportunity where technology, data and processes are coming together at scale to positively impact on society's wellbeing.

I am an entrepreneurial business leader and have spent my entire career in the intersection of financial services and technology, working with fintech, bigtech, management and technology consulting firms, advising clients from retail banking, capital markets and payments.

I am passionate about building high performing teams and driving innovation in financial services, with regular media presence and publications.

In terms of industry work, I am part of the CFIT Coalition and MVP for Corporate Digital IDs, looking to create a single ID to reduce fraud and drive fraud across UK SMEs. I also attend the APPG meetings on Digital IDs in Parliament chaired by Dr Allison Gardner, MP. I was also a member of the previous FS Council at TechUK and have pursued extensive work with yourselves in the context of SME Lending.

Simon Cox

Chief Transformation Officer, ServiceNow

28 years working in Technology in UK FS, former CIO in the insurance and banking sectors. 3 years ago joined ServiceNow to help their customers navigate through their transformations. My role is Global and cross-industry, but has a significant focus on working with FS customers in UK&I.

Steve Rackham

CTO for Financial Services, NetApp

I began my career in technology working for Sequent Computers, spending time at Intel and StorageTek. Joining NetApp in 2016, I have spent over 18 years focusing on the Financial Services Industry working with accounts across the vertical including heading up a Global pre-sales team for a large, multi-national bank before moving to my current CTO role.

I have been enhancing relationships with customers and strategic partners alike, helping them solve the different challenges that they face across FSI. I have also been exploring how the rapid advances in the use of AI is impacting Financial Services, changes to regulations and compliance such as DORA will impact organisations as they move forward and how ESG is steering conversations across the industry.

Tom Graham

MD, Banking, Accenture

I'm a partner in Accenture's UK business, and lead our work with Banking clients. I also run Accenture's Fintech Innovation Labs/growth programme. I help clients use technology to innovate and modernise..

Vince Mullin

Financial Services Lead - UK&I, NVIDIA

Vince leads the Financial Services business in UK&I for NVIDIA. Collaborating daily with C-level Executives and Data Science Teams at Banks, Fintechs, Payments, Regulators & Central Banks to accelerate transformation by building AI Factories. This includes navigating the complexities of AI adoption in FS such as regulation, data privacy & security, explainability and overcoming legacy infrastructure limitations. Part of the role also includes enabling the ecosystem of Financial Software firms, Cloud Service Providers, OEM's, Management Consultancies and VC’s to adopt AI and make connections across the industry for the benefit of UK PLC. An example is a quarterly AI meet-up that Vince organises. Previously, he led Microsoft’s Data & AI business for UK Banking, with prior leadership in Investments & Insurance. Vince has deep, practical experience in what works (and doesn’t) across cloud, data science, and GenAI.