< Fintech's Most Powerful Dealmakers of 2016

28. Lawrence Wintermeyer
Chief Executive Officer
Innovate Finance
Last year: 34

Innovate Finance, an association launched two years ago by then–chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, City of London Corp., and Canary Wharf Group, may not be the only reason “the U.K. is now recognized as the leading global fintech hub,” as Lawrence Wintermeyer boasts. But with more than 250 members, ranging from raw start-ups to large-valuation “unicorns” to leading financial institutions, Innovate Finance is undeniably one of the focal points for a world-class technological ecosystem on par with the City’s stature as a global financial center. The Brexit vote in June caused barely a blip in London’s fintech development and funding momentum — it was “more of an emotional shock than anything else,” according to Wintermeyer, who adds, “New York is really our sister hub.” It’s a friendly rivalry. Partnership Fund for New York City chief executive Maria Gotsch (No. 12) gave a keynote speech on September 7 when Innovate Finance formally launched its East Coast Program, promoting what Wintermeyer calls “a collaborative environment for our members and influencers.” Two weeks before that Innovate Finance joined in an announcement with SWIFT’s Innotribe innovation arm (see Fabian Vandenreydt, No. 24) that unveiled the Global FinTech Hubs Federation. The idea is to “connect entrepreneurs and investors, report on the landscapes and get some degree of consistency on where the money is going, what’s hot and what’s not, and what’s going on on the regulatory side of things,” says Wintermeyer, 51, a longtime digital strategy adviser who joined Innovate Finance as CEO in March 2015. Also on a global scale, at the United Nations ID2020 summit in May the London organization announced an initiative supporting the U.N. sustainable development goal of providing legal proof of identity to some 1.8 billion people who currently lack it. “Identity is really the first requirement to get access to bank accounts or liquidity,” Wintermeyer says. “We’re keen that this is one step in helping to solve not just financial inclusion but also the heinous things that happen to people who don’t have a legal identity.”

 
The 2016 Fintech Finance 35

1. Jonathan Korngold General Atlantic 2. Matthew Harris Bain Capital Ventures 3. Jane Gladstone Evercore Partners Finding, Applying for, and Winning Grant Funding: Tips for Nonprofits Sponsored by Fidelity Investments April 28, 2025 4. James Robinson III & James Robinson IV RRE Ventures 5. Steven McLaughlin Financial Technology Partners 6. Amy Nauiokas & Sean Park Anthemis Group

7. Richard Garman & Brad Bernstein FTV Capital 8. Gerard von Dohlen Broadhaven Capital Partners 9. Darren Cohen Goldman Sachs Group 10. Hans Morris Nyca Partners 11. Meyer (Micky) Malka Ribbit Capital 12. Maria Gotsch Partnership Fund for New York City

13. Barry Silbert Digital Currency Group 14. Jay Reinemann Propel Venture Partners 15. Mariano Belinky Santander InnoVentures 16. Justin Brownhill & Neil DeSena SenaHill Partners 17. François Robinet AXA Strategic Ventures 18. Vanessa Colella Citi Ventures

19. Michael Schlein Accion International 20. Kenneth Marlin Marlin & Associates 21. Rumi Morales CME Ventures 22. Alastair (Alex) Rampell Andreessen Horowitz 23. Steve Gibson Euclid Opportunities 24. Fabian Vandenreydt SWIFT

25. Vladislav Solodkiy Life.SREDA 26. Gardiner Garrard III TTV Capital 27. Nektarios Liolios Startupbootcamp Fintech 28. Lawrence Wintermeyer Innovate Finance 29. Bina Kalola Bank of America Merrill Lynch 30. Hyder Jaffrey Fintech Innovation

31. Calvin Choi AMTD Group 32. Janos Barberis FinTech Hong Kong 33. Jalak Jobanputra Future Perfect Ventures 34. Sopnendu Mohanty Monetary Authority of Singapore 35. Oskar Mielczarek de la Miel Rakuten FinTech Fund