FinTechNI, the organisation representing Northern Ireland's growing financial technology community, has announced the appointment of Andrew Jenkins and Bo Brustkern to its Board of Directors.
The announcement is in line with the recently released Kalifa Review, which identified Northern Ireland as one of the top 10 Fintech Clusters in the UK.
FinTechNI said that the appointments come as part of its objective to establish a long-term strategic plan to support fintech entrepreneurs and scale-ups and bolster the region's reputation as a leading global fintech hub.
Alex Lee, Chairman at FinTechNI said: "As the UK Government appointed Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland (in 2019), Andrew has been working very closely with us over the last couple of years, and so we are delighted to formally recognise that in this appointment.
"Bo has also been a great supporter of FintechNI since our inception back in 2018, and he brings a wealth of experience and connections to help us promote Northern Ireland’s fintech ecosystem on a global stage.”
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Bo Brustkern has over 20 years of experience in funding, building and leading companies focused on fintech and financial services.
In addition to co-founding and leading LendIt Fintech, Bo co-founded Arcstone Valuation (2006), Arcstone Equity Research (2010) and NSR Invest (2013).
Previously, he was a venture capitalist at Rustic Canyon Partners in Silicon Valley and a private equity investor at BACE Industries in Denver, Colorado.
He said that his "current passion lies in working with and connecting fintech communities around the world, adding: "With the prominence of fintech propelled by the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to collaborate and connect with other communities across the globe, driving the dialogue on financial services technology and ensuring Northern Ireland is at the centre of those conversations.”
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Andrew Jenkins possesses over 20 years’ experience in the technology sector, including financial services. As NI Fintech Envoy, he promotes collaboration between the region’s large companies and start-ups, engaging with local government to drive the development of the fintech sector in Northern Ireland.
Andrew is also a director at Arity, a company founded by The Allstate Corporation. Arity is a mobility data and analytics company that provides data-driven solutions to companies invested in transportation.
He said: “In my role as Fintech Envoy, I have had the pleasure of working with FinTechNI for a number of years and have seen the huge value the organisation has brought to the local FinTech community. I’m very pleased to join the board in an official capacity and look forward to consolidating Northern Ireland’s reputation as a world class destination for FinTechs.”
FinTechNI is an independent, not-for-profit industry association.
