EY launches South West innovation hub as part of regional FinTech investment

EY has today announced plans to establish a new Business Research Innovation Technology and Engineering (BRiTE) Hub in Bristol, as it looks to ramp up capabilities in financial services design, data analytics and engineering.

The hub, led by directors Dan Harris, Oana Beattie and Liam Snelling, will work with FinTech companies based in the South West, the University of Bristol and Fintech West to help serve clients locally, across the UK and internationally.

Harris is a UK director in EY’s research and design consultancy, EY Seren, having joined the firm in August 2022. Prior to this role, he was the UK financial services lead at Accenture, and was the principal director at Fjord.

Beattie is a data and analytics director at EY. Over the past 20 years, she has worked with some of the biggest financial services brands in the UK insurance and banking sectors, driving business value acceleration through data and innovation.

Liam Snelling is a digital engineering and emerging tech director at EY, with a career spanning 20 years, focused on cost and carbon-efficient digital transformation.

Anita Kimber, partner and FinTech strategy leader at EY, said: “The launch of the BRiTE Hub is the latest in a series of investments that EY has made in the FinTech sector in response to growing market demand. The hub will bring new, innovative thinking and experience to the region, with a focus on user-centred design that helps to tackle real life business problems. We have a strong leadership team in Dan, Oana and Liam, and I look forward to welcoming additional team members over the coming months.”

Andy Blackmore, head of financial services at EY in the South West and Wales, said: “Bristol has built a name for itself as the UK’s ‘home of science, media and innovation’, and has both a wealth of locally-grown talent and the power to attract new skilled workers to the region. This new hub will bring together actuarial and finance SMEs to develop and innovate within financial services data analytics, design and engineering.”

Tom Ellson, director for innovation and entrepreneurship at University of Bristol, said: “Bristol and the south west region is widely recognised for its creative and innovative culture. This has led to high profile international investment in a number of sectors from cybersecurity and technology through to financial services and engineering. The BRiTE Hub’s arrival in Bristol will form part of a fast-moving ecosystem.”