Wednesday, 31 March 2021
Professor Meryem Duygun, of the University Nottingham, has been recognised as one of the most influential women leading innovation in the UK financial services industry.
Innovate Finance named Professor Duygun in their Women in FinTech Powerlist 2020, within the category ‘Policymakers and Regulatory Experts’. She is one of two academics on this year’s Powerlist, which recognises the pioneering women championing financial innovation over the last year.
A fast-growing global industry, FinTech, the combination of finance and technology, is now worth more than £11 billion a year to the UK economy.1
Dr Duygun, a Professor of Banking and Finance at Nottingham University Business School, was nominated for the Women in FinTech Powerlist by Margaret Monckton, Chief Financial Officer at the university.
Professor Duygun is an endowed chaired professor in Risk and Insurance, funded by Aviva, and directs the University’s Nottingham FinTech Research Network and the Global Centre for Banking and Financial Innovation.
She is the first academic in the UK to have established a FinTech research network, attracting funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The University of Nottingham FinTech Research Network unites academics, industry figures and policymakers in analysing and trailblazing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in the financial services industry.
At the height of the 2008 financial crisis, she established the International Finance and Banking Society (IFABS), providing a collaborative platform for academia, industry, and policymakers in this field. Today IFABS, with Professor Duygun as founding president, has more than 5,000 members in 64 countries and is an acknowledged vehicle for tackling issues whose effects extend far beyond banking and finance.
She has also received numerous research grants for studies in the FinTech sector, notably, using AI techniques to examine the impact of COVID-19 on risk exposures of UK SMEs, in collaboration with the Bank of England and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). In an ongoing study, Professor Duygun is exploring the application of AI in the financial services industry to tackle financial crime and modern slavery.
Last year, Professor Duygun was listed among the 17 most influential women in InsurTech by FinTech Global and has been consistently named as one of the most influential women in Islamic business and finance, ranking 20th in 2020.
Meryem is a world expert in her field and has built an extensive network for expanding on and disseminating subject-relevant knowledge. She is relentlessly positive and energetic, always thinking of innovate new initiatives in the area of FinTech – her passion for FinTech, collaboration and sharing knowledge is undoubtedly the thing that sets her apart.
Professor Meryem Duygun said “I’m absolutely thrilled to have been included in the Women in FinTech Powerlist 2020 alongside such amazing female innovators making an impact in the world of FinTech and Financial Services."
My hope is to see more women in FinTech in the future. I’m dedicated to impactful FinTech research on both national and global scale and supporting the young colleagues of today in becoming the FinTech leaders of tomorrow.
Charlotte Crosswell, CEO, Innovate Finance, said: “Our FinTech sector has so many outstanding female role models – from founders, investors and investment bankers, to start-up entrepreneurs and technology experts – and it’s important that we take the time to honour and celebrate all of those at the forefront of change. Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our work at Innovate Finance, and each year it’s an honour to curate the Powerlist and spotlight the amazing women innovators across our industry.
“As our sector grows and matures, we will constantly strive to attract a diverse pool of talent across the FinTech ecosystem. The women celebrated today will not only be integral to the success of the future of FinTech, but will be key to inspiring the next generation of female leaders.”
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Meryem Duygun at Nottingham University Business School in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Meryem.Duygun@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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