Matt Hyde, Director Recruit 121 (Finance & FinTech) Managing Director of FinTech Awards Wales & London & Finance Awards Wales Meets:
Greg Harmer,
Partner Relationship Manager,
Stable Resources
Please introduce yourself and your role in Stable Resources
As Partner Relationship Manager, I head up the division supporting Rowland in achieving our partners with their growth strategies and training development. I also focus on supporting the growth strategies within larger Tech and Defence clients.
Where are the opportunities for Fintech in Wales?
The possibilities are endless! We have the opportunity to create a major driving force for FinTech business in Wales. It is in our hands – the future is bright for Wales. Here comes the “Silicon Valleys”.
A cautionary note, the key to success will be the relationships and common goals between both public, private and academia to realise the vision. So again, we have a once in a generational opportunity, it is in our hands.
Keep your eyes peeled for our “FinTech opportunities in Wales” podcast for an in-depth dive into this.
What does being involved in Fintech Awards Wales mean to Stable Resources?
Being part of the community and really adding value. As a member of FinTech Wales and importantly a Welsh business, Stable Resources is proud to be helping both business and the country grow to become the envy of the UK – if not the World!
We are Wales best kept secret in terms of services; we are a Microsoft Gold Partner and for the last 20 years worked with large, defence system integrators.
We are now partnering with Welsh based high growth companies and also opening Stable Academy – an IT Skills based academy offering industry recognised qualifications, apprenticeships and training.
What advice would you give a young technical professional?
Firstly, Follow your dreams! Plan and Plan and plan again! Create a 3-year vision and work backwards. To quote Irene Cara from the film Flashdance “take your passion and make it happen”!
Surround yourself with like-minded people, network, attend round-table events and never stop learning.
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice/mentor (in fact do it immediately!). There are many talented, experienced professionals who would be delighted to offer you support. Stable Resources has an exceptional network who are currently offering such support.
What books and podcasts would you recommend and why?
Podcast:
For FinTech's Sake – Zach Anderson Pettet
This podcast has a five-star rating on Apple's Podcast channel despite being fairly new (it was started in March 2019). But the quality speaks for itself! Host Zach Anderson Pettet asks all the right questions to all the right people. Have a listen to his last episode with Jo Ann Barefoot, CEO at Barefoot Innovation, Co-Founder at Hummingbird and with a CV in financial disruption as long as your arm.
Books:
The Innovation Ultimatum – Steve Brown, former Futurist and Chief Evangelist at Intel
The Innovation Ultimatum is a comprehensive guide to technologies that will reshape the new decade. Artificial intelligence (AI), distributed ledgers and blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous machines, virtual and augmented reality, and 5G communication will bring significant opportunities for businesses in every industry.
Steve Brown uses straightforward, jargon-free language to help leaders understand the importance of the key technologies. This resource provides a clear guide on how leaders can prepare their businesses to best embrace technology-led disruption.
The world-renowned futurist shares compelling insights into how organizations can optimize operations, create value, and serve customers in new ways by embracing the next wave of digital transformation.
The six technologies in this FinTech book will have a significant impact on the FinTech industry.
Advances in Financial Machine Learning – Marcos Lopez de Prado, Founder, and CIO at TPT
Advances in Financial Machine Learning explores the technical side of Machine Learning (ML) and its impact on the global financial industry. Today, ML algorithms are effortlessly accomplishing tasks only the most experienced professionals could perform, changing the way we do business and go about our lives. The book describes how this disruptive technology can be used to conduct research on Big Data, backtest discoveries, and avoid false positives.
The author uses the most recent real-life problems faced by ML practitioners to explain how to solve them using math and code. Readers can work along and test the proposed solutions to learn cutting-edge solutions that will help them succeed in the current financial industry.
The Fintech Book: The Financial Technology Handbook for Investors, Entrepreneurs and Visionaries (Susanne Chishti & Janos Barberis).
This book is your primary guide to the financial technology revolution, and the disruption, innovation and opportunity therein. Written by prominent thought leaders in the European, UK and Hong Kong fintech investment space, this book aggregates diverse industry expertise into a single informative volume to provide entrepreneurs and investors with the answers they need to capitalize on this lucrative market. Key industry developments are explained in detail, and critical insights from cutting-edge practitioners offer first-hand information and lessons learned.
