CONNECTOR SERIES

Al Rayan Bank UK is the United Kingdom’s oldest, largest, and most successful Sharia-compliant bank. Established in 2004, it is part of the Al Rayan Bank Group - one of Qatar’s largest banking corporations.

Al Rayan Bank UK focuses on Commercial Property Finance and Premier Banking, and also offers individual and business savings and current account services through its Digital Banking platform.

The Bank was the first Sharia-compliant bank in the UK to receive a credit rating and currently holds an Aa3(cr) rating from Moody’s Investors Service. Al Rayan Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Who will you speak to?

Imran Pasha - COO

What does Al Rayan Bank UK hope to achieve?

It is an opportunity for the Bank to connect with regional suppliers which fits in with our ESG approach, learn about new developments in the market from a technology perspective while at the same giving us an opportunity to provide support and guidance to local tech businesses.

Barclays is a major employer in the West Midlands ecosystem with large offices in Birmingham and Coventry. Barclays Eagle Labs is built to give you access to the right people, knowledge, and opportunities to scale and succeed, irrespective of whether they bank with Barclays or not. It’s a launchpad for those with the ideas to change the way we do things.

So, if you’re a startup, investor or corporate, our Labs offer entrepreneurs, individuals and businesses coworking and office space, innovative tools, curated events and the right network to innovate and scale. With dedicated programmes for lawtech, fintech and broader tech in professional and related services arenas, Barclays offer a range of services to support your business’ growth.

Who will you speak to?

Balraj Singh, A.I Relationship Manager

What does Barclays hope to achieve?

• To support startups and their founders with access to mentoring, skills and connections, which helps businesses to create, innovate and grow.

BMet is a large general FE college with approximately 16,000 learners and three main campuses based in Birmingham: James Watt College at Perry Barr, Matthew Boulton College in central Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield College. A third of the learners are aged 16-18 and are on full time programmes, with a significant community of adult learners on part-time courses and professional development courses.

The broad curriculum offer includes: A Levels and vocational qualifications, apprenticeships, access to higher education, part-time adult professional development, entry level courses as well as full and part-time degree level study programmes. BMet is focused on ensuring student progression, through pathways into employment and its curriculum is shaped to respond to employer demand. It is imperative that the estates strategy and management support the college’s ambitions for its students and its own sustainable business objectives.

Who will you speak to?

Andy Crowter, Head of Estates

What does BMet hope to achieve?

Expand knowledge and awareness of relevant proptech solutions that support college ambitions across the broad spectrum of interests such as utilisation, provision of student services and experience, maintenance management, decarbonisation and more!

BNP Paribas are committed to creating flexible and responsible finance solutions that customers trust. As part of BNP Paribas, a European bank with global reach, they bring expertise, innovative thinking and valuable customer insight to fuel growth for their partners by attracting customers, building loyalty and increasing sales.

They’ve been working with leading brands and high street names for over 45 years to help partners to attract customers, build loyalty and increase sales through flexible and innovative finance solutions, including retail finance, credit cards, insurance premium finance, motor finance, and home improvement loans.

Who will you speak to?

What does BNP Paribas Personal Finance hope to achieve?

• They are looking forward to being challenged on their thinking with fresh ideas and solutions.

Bruntwood SciTech (a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General) owns and operates the UK’s largest portfolio of science and technology assets and creates the environments and ecosystems that enable companies in the science and technology sector to form, collaborate, scale and grow.

In addition to high quality office and laboratory space, a range of scientific services and tailored business support, Bruntwood SciTech provides connections that offer unrivalled access to finance, talent, markets and mentorship. Their locations provide inspirational, innovative communities in which start-ups, scale ups, and global headquarters thrive.

Who will you speak to?

What does Bruntwood SciTech hope to achieve?

• Bruntwood SciTech is creating a network of innovation districts; connecting the UK’s cities, regions and communities of like-minded professionals through extensive opportunities for collaboration and access to our public, private, academic, clinical partner network.

Coventry Building Society is committed to making people better off through life. Established in 1884, the Society is owned by and run for its members - more than two million savers and borrowers across the UK. With excellent customer service and consistently competitive savings and mortgage products, it helps people save for their futures and borrowers, at all stages of life, to buy their own home.

The Society is the first UK Building Society to be accredited with B Corp status, a globally recognised certification for companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, and are run for the benefit of all people, communities, and the planet.

It is consistently recognised as being one of the best places to work, winning accolades in 2023 for being a Great Place to Work for Women, for Wellbeing and in the Financial Services sector. It has also been named in the top 15 super large companies to work for in the UK in 2023 by Great Places to Work

Who will you speak to?

Annie Pratt, Senior Operational Resilience Manager

What does Coventry Building Society hope to achieve?

To inspire the local area and be a part of promoting the West Midlands’ FinTech community.

To speak to visionary leaders with great ideas and share with one another to get better results

Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) is a not-for-profit, FCA-regulated Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) dedicated to supporting start-ups and SMEs primarily across Coventry and Warwickshire. For over 20 years, CWRT has been providing accessible and flexible debt finance to businesses that are often underserved by mainstream lenders.

Our loans are tailored to empower entrepreneurs and growing companies, ensuring they have the financial resources needed to thrive, create jobs, and contribute to the local economy. We are committed to fostering financial inclusion and supporting businesses that make a positive impact on their communities.

Our vision is to deliver financial solutions that fulfil today’s needs and tomorrow’s dreams. We strive to create long-term value for our customers, employees, and the local community.

Who will you speak to?

Sheridan Sulskis – CEO

What does CWRT hope to achieve?

To use its access to finance experience and knowledge to help educate aspiring and thriving business owners about finance, financial management and resources available

To gain feedback about gaps in the marketplace and how we can create tailor made loan products that suit the needs of local businesses

To expand our knowledge around technology, innovation and networks

Everything we do at Dudley Building Society starts with impeccable customer experience as a specialist lender – from manually underwriting mortgage applications to complete transparency when helping our customers choose the best savings product. We are real people helping real people and we listen because we genuinely want to support them in achieving their aspirations.

As a Society we have an ambitious growth strategy over the next 5 years in which we want to enhance customer journeys and internal processes so that we can continue to focus on giving the customer experiences that our members love so much.

Who will you speak to?

Tom Vasiljevic – Head of Customer Experience

What does Dudley Building Society hope to achieve?

• We want to have our eyes opened to the art of the possible.

• To hear from people who want break barriers and improve customer journeys

• Explore potential collaboration opportunities

Paragon Banking Group is a specialist financial services company, headquartered in Solihull, here in the West Midlands. Their lending activities focus on mortgages for landlords in the UK private rented sector and commercial lending for a range of SMEs, including asset finance and development finance for housebuilders. They offer motor finance and structured lending facilities. They also fund our lending activities primarily through our award-winning savings division, which has retail deposits of approximately £10 billion.

Paragon pride themselves on continuous improvement, always looking to innovate within their business, progressing and evolving within an ever-changing social, corporate and regulatory environment. They also place people at the heart of our company and was proud to recently achieve Platinum Investors in People status.

Who will you speak to?

Zish Khan – Chief Operating Officer

What does Paragon hope to achieve?

• We hope to use this networking series to support and nurture aspirational and ambitious new entrants in the Professional Technology space, helping them to grow and develop the skills base of the West Midlands region.

• We also hope to knowledge share, so that we can learn and evolve as a business, gaining insight from the latest thinking from the West Midlands’ innovative SMEs.

Secure Trust Bank Group is an award-winning UK specialist bank, providing savings accounts and lending services to over a million UK customers. Established in the West Midlands over 70 years ago, it remains headquartered in the region but now also has teams in Cardiff, Manchester, Reading and London. Its specialist lending services focus on two sectors: consumer lending, incorporating retail finance and vehicle finance and business lending, incorporating real estate finance and commercial finance.

The organisation sees technology as a key enabler to achieving its vision of becoming the most trusted specialist lender in the UK, as well as being central to driving its growth strategy. As a result, significant investment has been made over recent years in improving its technology infrastructure and IT platform to deliver enhanced customer experiences, drive operational efficiency and leverage networks with third parties.

Who will you speak to?

Senior executives from within our Chief Operating Officer, Commercial and Risk Functions

What does Secure Trust Bank hope to achieve?

To contribute to a diverse community of organisations that will nurture technological innovation in the region by creating strong links, sharing ideas and working collaboratively.

To help our organisation to further its strategic goals and innovation plans and support innovative start-ups within the region.

Shoosmiths is one of the largest law firms in Birmingham with c.300 employees in the city.

Shoosmiths’ Birmingham office, home to a quarter of the entire firm’s partnership, plays a key role in the firm’s most innovative product development, including AI contract review robots, PropTech lease portfolio analysis, contract lifecycle management platforms, automated data protection tools and Shoosmiths' Connected Services offering non-legal solutions for our clients in one dedicated place.

Who will you speak to?

Tony Randle - Partner at Shoosmiths

What does Shoosmiths hope to achieve?

• To hear from like-minded people who perhaps have an idea but need some help in bringing it to life, or who are keen to understand more about legal tech but who feel they do not currently have the contacts or experience to get involved.

Unity Trust Bank was born out of a vision by trade unions to create a bank that would embrace the philosophy of serving the common good.

Now in its 38th year, Unity is a thriving, independent commercial bank and these founding principles are still at the heart of everything it does today.

Unity’s purpose is to create a better society for everyone. It provides exceptional commercial banking and only lends to organisations that address social, economic and environment needs.

Unity aligns every loan proposal against one or more of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure that all funds deliver quantifiable impact.

Who will you speak to?

Anna De Rosier, Chief Operating Officer

What does Unity hope to achieve?

• To develop new, creative relationships with entrepreneurs in the West Midlands

• To use its experience and knowledge to help create a thriving businesses community, creating employment and opportunity which will improve the lives of local residents.

Wesleyan are committed to creating a brighter financial future for professionals. Through a network of dedicated Financial Consultants, they provide tailored, specialist financial advice for a range of key professions. Whether you’re a doctor, dentist or teacher, they know the challenges you face at every stage of your career, and they will support you every step of the way. Whether you’re looking for help with savings and investments, mortgages, income protection plans or pensions, Wesleyan can provide one-off or ongoing support and guidance to help you make the most of your money.

Who will you speak to?

David Stewart - Group Chief Operating Officer

What does Wesleyan hope to achieve?

• To contribute to the health and promotion of the West Midlands’ FinTech community.

• And to enhance the knowledge of other companies, whilst identifying opportunities for collaboration.