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7 October 2026, Edinburgh
2026 Judges
(Click Photo for Biography)
RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL SERVICES & FINTECH
Vicky Gorman, Scottish National Investment Bank
Vicky Gorman is Investment Director at the Scottish National Investment Bank, where she leads the development of the Scottish Universities Fund, an investment platform designed to support the commercialisation of university-led innovation. A Chartered Accountant who began her career at PwC, Vicky has more than 20 years of experience across investment management, investor relations and operational leadership. Her career has spanned Edinburgh, London and Zurich, including senior roles at UBS, Capital Dynamics and Dalmore Capital.
Previously Interim Chief Operating Officer at FinTech Scotland, she worked closely with fintech firms, financial institutions, investors, universities and government to support growth of the Fintech cluster. Vicky is a passionate advocate for innovation and entrepreneurship in Scotland. She brings a strong understanding of investment, innovation and the fintech ecosystem to the Scottish Financial Technology Awards judging panel and is delighted to help recognise the people and organisations driving the future of financial services.
Previously Interim Chief Operating Officer at FinTech Scotland, she worked closely with fintech firms, financial institutions, investors, universities and government to support growth of the Fintech cluster. Vicky is a passionate advocate for innovation and entrepreneurship in Scotland. She brings a strong understanding of investment, innovation and the fintech ecosystem to the Scottish Financial Technology Awards judging panel and is delighted to help recognise the people and organisations driving the future of financial services.
Neil McLennan, Engine Associates
Neil is co-founder and Managing Partner of Engine Associates, an AI enabled consultancy specifically designed for the scale up market - both companies and investors. Neil started his career in big-4 consultancy before spending 14 years in LBG in various Senior Exec roles including Transformation Director, CIO, COO roles and spent time as the MD of Scottish Widows Bank and as Retail Strategy Director always with an innovation and fintech focus. Neil then led a strategic review of a global SaaS Tech business before taking over its leadership and scaling the business to c£90m turnover. More latterly, Neil has been a board advisor to numerous scaling, tech orientated, businesses which led him to found Engine to support that market. Neil is an active scale up market and AI stakeholder in the UK ecosystem.
Sarah Forbes, Scottish Enterprise
Peter Ferry, Scottish Digital Trust Centre
Peter Ferry is CEO of the Scottish Digital Trust Centre, established in January 2025 through Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Glasgow, with funding from Scottish Enterprise. He is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University and Chair of Scotland’s Blockchain and Digital Trust Taskforce.
Peter brings two decades of experience in engineering, consulting, and business development, with a career spanning early-stage innovation strategy, digital identity, and the adoption of digital trust technologies in business and society. He was recognised with the Cyber Breakthrough Award at the Scottish Cyber Awards in 2017 and was invested as Honorary Consul to the Republic of Estonia in 2018. He was a founding employee of Microsoft Scotland and is Founder of Wallet.Services, a secure data sharing platform. Peter established the Digital Trust Taskforce with Scottish Enterprise in 2023 and plays a key coordinating role across the Scottish blockchain and digital trust ecosystem.
Peter brings two decades of experience in engineering, consulting, and business development, with a career spanning early-stage innovation strategy, digital identity, and the adoption of digital trust technologies in business and society. He was recognised with the Cyber Breakthrough Award at the Scottish Cyber Awards in 2017 and was invested as Honorary Consul to the Republic of Estonia in 2018. He was a founding employee of Microsoft Scotland and is Founder of Wallet.Services, a secure data sharing platform. Peter established the Digital Trust Taskforce with Scottish Enterprise in 2023 and plays a key coordinating role across the Scottish blockchain and digital trust ecosystem.
Paulina Kozak-Kowalska, Baillie Gifford
Angela Brown, Finflare
Angela Brown is the founder and CEO of FinFlare, a boutique advisory firm that embeds CFO-led finance teams into early-stage and scaling technology businesses.
A former research scientist, Angela re-trained as a chartered accountant and now has over 20 years' experience. Angela has spent much of her career as a CFO and finance director to start-ups and scale-ups. In-house, she led equity and debt fundraising, built the finance and data infrastructure needed to scale, and ran the finance workstream through to exit.
Going freelance in 2016 gave her the chance to work with investment-backed businesses across a wide range of sectors, latterly specialising in software and digitally disruptive companies. Recognising a gap in the accounting market for a firm working exclusively with investment-backed businesses, she founded FinFlare in 2021.
Today FinFlare acts as the full finance function for its clients: bookkeeping, payroll, management accounts, financial modelling, R&D tax credits and specialist reliefs including SEIS and EIS,. This combined with CFO-led advisory on cash management, funding strategy and equity rounds provides a fully embedded finance team to ambitious tech businesses. Angela leads a growing team supporting founders from first raise through to exit.
A former research scientist, Angela re-trained as a chartered accountant and now has over 20 years' experience. Angela has spent much of her career as a CFO and finance director to start-ups and scale-ups. In-house, she led equity and debt fundraising, built the finance and data infrastructure needed to scale, and ran the finance workstream through to exit.
Going freelance in 2016 gave her the chance to work with investment-backed businesses across a wide range of sectors, latterly specialising in software and digitally disruptive companies. Recognising a gap in the accounting market for a firm working exclusively with investment-backed businesses, she founded FinFlare in 2021.
Today FinFlare acts as the full finance function for its clients: bookkeeping, payroll, management accounts, financial modelling, R&D tax credits and specialist reliefs including SEIS and EIS,. This combined with CFO-led advisory on cash management, funding strategy and equity rounds provides a fully embedded finance team to ambitious tech businesses. Angela leads a growing team supporting founders from first raise through to exit.
Luke Scanlon, Pinsent Masons
Luke Scanlon is the Head of Fintech propositions at Pinsent Masons. He advises some of the world's leading technology companies, financial institutions and fintech businesses on a range of contractual, governance and regulatory issues and had been recognised by Legal500 and ranked as a leading fintech lawyer by Chambers. He has led large-scale multi-jurisdictional projects advising on the regulatory implications of providing and procuring technology products in multiple jurisdictions, led large-scale regulatory remediation projects including for changes to contracts across 100+ vendor arrangements and advised extensively on AI use for financial services.
Elaine McLaughlan
Elaine McLaughlan is an innovation leader with extensive experience building and leading teams that deliver transformative products and services across financial services.
She has worked with fintechs and financial institutions globally, helping organisations identify emerging opportunities, accelerate innovation, and move ideas from proof of concept to production at pace.
Elaine is passionate about fostering collaboration across the fintech ecosystem and has advised startups and scale-ups on product strategy, innovation, and growth. As a judge, she brings a strong understanding of what it takes to translate great ideas into scalable solutions that deliver meaningful customer and business impact.
She has worked with fintechs and financial institutions globally, helping organisations identify emerging opportunities, accelerate innovation, and move ideas from proof of concept to production at pace.
Elaine is passionate about fostering collaboration across the fintech ecosystem and has advised startups and scale-ups on product strategy, innovation, and growth. As a judge, she brings a strong understanding of what it takes to translate great ideas into scalable solutions that deliver meaningful customer and business impact.
Clare Reid, Fintech Scotland
Alexandra Foster, Fujitsu
Avril Fiddes, NatWest
Avril Fiddes is Head of Onboarding Technology and Digital Channels at RBS International, where she leads the technology platforms responsible for onboarding retail and institutional clients and delivering digital experiences for customers across their lifecycle.
With more than 25 years' experience in technology, banking and financial services, Avril has spent the last several years in senior leadership roles across NatWest Group, driving large-scale transformation programmes, digital innovation and platform modernisation. Prior to her current role, she led delivery and operational excellence for the Bank of APIs, helping to scale NatWest's Open Banking and commercial API capabilities, and previously led major retail banking initiatives within the bank across cards, accounts and payments.
A passionate technologist and advocate for customer-focused innovation, Avril combines deep expertise in digital channels, payments, APIs and platform delivery with a strong focus on creating better customer outcomes through technology, operational excellence and collaboration. She is an active supporter of the fintech ecosystem and enjoys sharing insights on innovation, transformation and digital banking.
With more than 25 years' experience in technology, banking and financial services, Avril has spent the last several years in senior leadership roles across NatWest Group, driving large-scale transformation programmes, digital innovation and platform modernisation. Prior to her current role, she led delivery and operational excellence for the Bank of APIs, helping to scale NatWest's Open Banking and commercial API capabilities, and previously led major retail banking initiatives within the bank across cards, accounts and payments.
A passionate technologist and advocate for customer-focused innovation, Avril combines deep expertise in digital channels, payments, APIs and platform delivery with a strong focus on creating better customer outcomes through technology, operational excellence and collaboration. She is an active supporter of the fintech ecosystem and enjoys sharing insights on innovation, transformation and digital banking.
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