The FinTech Report Podcast: Episode 58: Alan Shield, Founder of RFi Data Insights

Alan Shields, Founder, RFi Data Insights; the lessons for all fintech founders

Alan has recently authored and published a book on startups called “The Startup Handbook – the Founders Guide to Building a Business”

Alan’s book reaches into his experience of founding his own company, as well as mentoring others. Alan has 23 years of experience in data analytics, business intelligence, and market research, Alan is a passionate entrepreneur and business leader who helps financial institutions make data-driven decisions. Alan has successfully established and expanded businesses in London, Singapore, and Sydney. Alan was the Founder and Director of RFI Global, a data analytics and insights company, providing strategic guidance and technical data expertise to the world's leading financial services organisations.

Now at Trilogie Partners, Alan helps companies prepare for and execute fundraising efforts, review strategies to unlock growth potential, and offer practical advice to improve execution.

** Special offer: email Alan for a copy of the book: Alan Shields al@trilogie.partners **

Or, connect on LinkedIn and DM Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abjshields/

In this episode, Alan discusses:

RFi: Data insights business

Biggest challenges with fintech startups struggling with = TAM, SAM, SOM: do you really know these for your business?

Product market fit? Do you talk to your prospects and customers?

Focus of the book, why he wrote it and how he believes it can help founders.

Founder's perspective on lessons learned from growing a data business globally over nearly 2 decades - bootstrapping, international expansion, culture/ talent and funding etc

Opportunities in banking for both banks and fintechs (customer behaviour, innovation and competition)

Building the payments infrastructure for B2B clients, bringing payments lessons from Europe into Australia, and helping Australian fintechs scale globally


Piers Cracknell has 20+ years’ experience in banking, payments & fintech across senior roles at NAB, CBA and global fintechs in Australia & the UK.
Piers was recently hired by European bank – Banking Circle – to set up their Australian operation, which is known locally as BC Payments Australia,

In this podcast we discuss:

1. What does BC Payments do in Australia?
2. Difference between Banking Circle (EU) and BC Payments Australia?
3. Building the payments infrastructure for customers
4. In Australia: Typical clients (B2B, acquirers, issuers), access to NPP, access to cross border payment schemes
5. What’s driving growth for BC Payments? Time and cost of settlement
6. Need for KYC and AML frameworks, understanding all types of risks (eg onboarding process, ongoing monitoring and supervision of client)
7. Experience in Europe – how is it relevant for Australia?
8. View on future of payments – domestic & cross border

From online application to money in the customer’s account in 36 minutes


From customer service (call centres), fraud detection & prevention, credit scoring & risk assessment, personalised banking, routine task automation, loan approvals, trading, to regulatory compliance and much more, Ai is changing finance, and fast.

In this episode Glen Frost interviews Julian Fayad on how his business, LoanOptions.Ai is changing unsecured lending, including how decisioning and payment is getting faster and faster – with the record at LoanOptions.Ai being 36 minutes for a Nurse to apply online, be and approved and received the money in their account in 36 mintues.

Loan Options AI is an AI powered loan matching and application platform to find you the best offers for car loans, personal loans, business loans, equipment loans and all other types of asset finance. LoanOptions.ai uses a combination of AI and dynamic logic to provide predictive pre-approval and accurate lender rates for hundreds of financial products from over 90 different banks and lenders. You can apply in under 5 minutes with no impact to your credit score.

Julian originally started in technology and has spent his entire career in asset finance, and Loan Options.ai is the culmination of everything he knows & using technology to make lending a better, faster and more efficient experience for the customer and the lender.