Here are the finalists in the Scottish Financial Services Awards 2019

2018's awards - pictured from left are Barclays chairman John McFarlane, SFE chairman Jim Pettigrew, EY head of financial services in Scotland Sue Dawe, head of Barclays in Scotland Scott Stewart, and SFE chief executive Graeme Jones. Picture: contributed.

The Scottish Financial Services Awards 2019, run by Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) and sponsored by EY, are set to take place on 24 October at the EICC in Edinburgh.

Organisers said a record number of nominations were received, with the number of categories raised from two to three – comprising impact and investment, pioneer and rising star. A mixture of individuals and firms, as well as one collaborative project between Skills Development Scotland, the City of Glasgow College and industry partners, have been shortlisted.

SFE chief executive Graeme Jones said: “Without a doubt 2019 marks the strongest year of entries for our industry’s prestigious Scottish Financial Services Awards to date. Our list of finalists signals the top ten people, projects and firms working in financial services who are driving growth within our industry while also making significant contributions to wider society.

“I congratulate all nominees for their hard work."

Sue Dawe, head of financial services at EY in Scotland, said: “The Scottish Financial Services Awards offer a moment to showcase the extensive, positive contribution our industry makes to the economy and local society.

“The 2019 line-up demonstrates that the talent, innovation and aptitude within financial services remains as strong as ever."

Previous industry winners include; Barclays in 2018 for its decision to build a new state-of-the-art campus at Buchanan Wharf in Glasgow with the prospect of up to 2,500 new jobs; Edinburgh-based fintech Nucleus, which listed on Aim after winning in 2017; Royal Bank of Scotland; Tesco Bank and Standard Life Investments.

Here are the finalists as unveiled by SFE:

Impact and Investment category:

FNZ

Scotland’s first fintech unicorn dedicated to innovation has grown its headquarters in Edinburgh and expanded its graduate programme in Scotland to recruit the best local talent.

LendingCrowd

Created a unique partnership with the Scottish Investment Bank and NIBC Bank to fund the ambitions of SMEs in Scotland.

Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) via the Bank of Scotland Foundation

The Bank of Scotland Foundation is expanding its funding programmes for Scottish charities thanks to annual funding from LBG increasing from £2 million to £5m for its grants programmes and matched giving for LBG employees.

Pioneer category:

FNZ

In April 2019 FNZ launched the world’s first blockchain-powered market infrastructure for asset-management. Use of this technology has the potential to transform financial services through increased transparency, efficiency and speed, making investing accessible for more people.

Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley’s Glasgow-based EMEA Cybersecurity Fusion Center enables the firm to be proactive in marshalling a 24/7 cyber response. Delivering a positive impact globally for Morgan Stanley and the wider Scottish Cybersecurity Ecosystem.

Skills Development Scotland & the City of Glasgow College

Influenced by industry, the pioneering work-readiness college course was co-designed and co-delivered with industry partners to meet identified industry needs for new talent entering the sector. The course supports un/under-employed talent to access entry level roles in Glasgow’s financial services sector.

Rising Star category:

Gillian Chivinge, equity research analyst, Aberdeen Standard Investments

A diligent analyst and passionate advocate for entrepreneurship, innovation and inclusion with an extensive remit of external roles and responsibilities within industry.

Mikaela Thompson, technology apprentice, Morgan Stanley

An outstanding apprentice with a drive to improve team performance and customer satisfaction. She makes significant contributions to industry both inside and outside her firm.

Meenal Upadhyay, software developer, market risk, Morgan Stanley

A high-performing individual in her role at the firm and an ambassador for tech through external networks with a drive for promoting diversity and inclusion.

Sam Young, proposition manager, Phoenix Group

Identified as a talented, future leader who is driven and collaborative. She has a reputation internally for her focus on customer insight, built on forensic levels of analysis and stakeholder management.