Tech entrepreneur Jason Bates co-founded Monzo and Starling Bank, two of the most successful financial services companies of recent times. He is now the co-founder and Deputy CEO of fintech consultancy 11:FS, leading delivery teams to help banks drive digital transformation and deliver digital banking. Jason also presents FinTech Insider's podcast, covering topics from digital banking and consumer behaviour to blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
At Starling, Jason led product development and directed brand and marketing. During his time there, he met the team with whom he would later pioneer a new digital bank, initially named Mondo. It raised one million in ninety-six seconds, becoming the quickest crowd-funding campaign in history. A later campaign reached twenty million within three hours. As Chief Customer Officer of Monzo, Jason built the design of the award-winning app and led the regulatory applications for the bank.
Monzo’s success was mainly due to its loyalty to its users, with referrals drawing in eighty per cent of the company’s business. Monzo disrupted traditional banking by establishing a new way of interacting with clients and engaging younger people with their finances. As part of his fintech consultancy, Jason advises companies to develop mobile platforms and target different markets. He also guides financial services on driving digital transformation, analysing where innovation meets banking, and how to implement change successfully.
Jason considers how digital banking will evolve, AI's role, and its impact on consumers and businesses. He discusses leadership in an era of cultural change, overseeing the next digital shift, and creating products that embody the future of consumer behaviour.