About this Event
FinTech North is delighted to announce our inaugural Lending Summit hosted in partnership with headline sponsors and brand sponsors and .
On the 23rd of September, we will bring together leaders from across FinTech, lending, home-ownership, credit and the broader financial services sector to explore the forces reshaping modern lending today.
Leeds City Region is one of the UK's most established centres for lending expertise, with deep strengths across retail finance, SME lending, and mortgage innovation. The region is also home to major high street and challenger banks, world-class credit reference agencies, and maintains a significant regulatory presence through the FCA and the Bank of England - all of which underpin its position as one of the most important lending ecosystems in the country.
Building on this legacy, the summit will convene major institutions, innovators, and infrastructure providers to examine how lending is evolving in a digital-first, data-driven economy. With headline sponsors Lenvi, and brand sponsors PEXA and RSM, the event reflects the strength of collaboration across the Northern fintech ecosystem and the global relevance of the region's lending capabilities.
We're delighted to announce we will be hosting the summit at Fearns at Department, Leeds Dock - a creative and digital hub home to over 60 tech, media and digital businesses, and a natural setting for conversations at the intersection of finance and innovation. Delegates can expect a great lunch, drinks and plenty of space to connect.
What we'll explore
The summit will focus on the key trends and technologies redefining lending today and tomorrow:
AI in Lending - transforming credit decisioning, servicing, and operational efficiency
Open Banking & Open Finance - enabling richer data, better affordability assessments, and more inclusive lending
BNPL & Embedded Credit - reshaping consumer expectations and credit delivery models
Financial Inclusion - expanding fair and responsible access to credit
Tokenisation & Digital Infrastructure - unlocking new models for assets, collateral, and settlement
Risk, Resilience & Trust - balancing innovation with stability, reputation, and customer confidence
Fraud, Financial Crime & KYC - strengthening identity, compliance, and fraud prevention in a digital ecosystem
Home Ownership & Mortgages - addressing affordability, accessibility, and digital mortgage journeys
We're also excited to confirm that our popular showcase format will feature at the summit, spotlighting emerging lending start-ups from across the North and highlighting the next generation of products, platforms, and credit innovation.
As lending continues to evolve rapidly, the summit will connect established lenders, fintech challengers, and infrastructure providers to explore how the sector can grow more intelligent, inclusive, and resilient - and demonstrate the region's leadership in one of financial services' most critical and fast-changing sectors.
We'll be announcing agenda details and speakers soon. For more information or collaboration opportunities, reach out to us at [email protected].
AGENDA:
10:00 am - 10:45 am: Registration & Networking
10:45 am - 10:55 am: Welcome from FinTech North
Delivered by Joe Roche, General Manager, FinTech North
10:55 am - 11:10 am: Welcome from Lenvi & Setting the Scene: The State of Lending
Delivered by Richard Carter, CEO, Lenvi
11:10 am - 11:25 am: Rules of the Road: The Regulatory Outlook for Lending
Delivered by Amy Shooter, Senior Audit Manager, RSM
11:25 am - 12:05 pm: The Agentic Shift: AI's New Role in Lending
• Moderator: Sam Goodacre, Director of Product, Lenvi
• Katharine Wooller, Chief Strategist Banking & Financial Services, Softcat
• Claire Smith, Director of Marketing, Oakbrook
• Matthew Whetton, Chief Technology Officer, Acquired.com
• Simon Quin, Director of Technology, Lenvi
12:05 pm - 12:15 pm: Forms Are Dead: Long Live the Future of Home Buying with Agentic AI
• Philip Bonhard, Head of Experience Design, Lloyds Banking Group
12:15 pm - 12:55 pm: The Last Mile: Rethinking the Mortgage Journey
PEXA, speaker tbc
other panellists & moderator tbc
1:00 pm - 1:50 pm: Lunch & Networking
1:55 pm - 2:25 pm: Meet the modern borrower: a panel discussion
James Brown, CEO, Leeds Credit Union
more panellists and moderator tbc
2:25 pm - 2:35 pm: Smart Recovery: Scaling Collections Without Losing the Human Touch
Speaker tbc
2:35 pm - 3:00 pm: Ones to Watch: Lending Innovation Showcase
• Hal Sarjant, CEO, ROSA
• Alex Beardsley, Founder, Debeo
Moderated by Rachel England, Events & Project Manager, FinTech North
More speakers tbc
3:00 pm: Closing remarks, event to close
Event venue & nearby stays
Fearns Leeds Dock, 4 The Boulevard, Leeds, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.