Inclusion is Not Charity
15 October, 2026
The financial technology industry is facing a fundamental shift in how businesses identify, develop and retain talent. As artificial intelligence transforms the workplace and demand for specialist technical skills continues to evolve, organisations are being challenged to rethink traditional approaches to FinTech recruitment, workforce development and digital transformation.
But what if the answer to the industry's skills challenges isn't always hiring more people? What if businesses already have access to much of the talent they need?
In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, host Nadia Edwards-Dashti, welcomes Wincie Wong, Founding Member of Tech She Can and Advisory Board Member for FinTech Connect, to explore the relationship between AI, inclusive hiring, reskilling and the future of work in financial services.
Drawing on her extensive experience in banking, technology and digital transformation, including 16 years at NatWest, Wincie shares how organisations can unlock overlooked talent, why the human side of technological change is often the greatest challenge, and how she helped reskill more than 480 people from non-technical backgrounds into software engineers.
The conversation also explores the changing demand for AI skills, the importance of data in successful AI adoption, and why businesses need to look beyond conventional qualifications and experience when building their future workforce.
From Financial Services to Digital Transformation: Wincie Wong's Career Journey
Wincie's career demonstrates the value of adaptability, continuous learning and embracing opportunities outside traditional career paths.
Growing up in an immigrant family in New York, Wincie describes how her strength in mathematics helped her access education and build a career beyond the financial circumstances of her upbringing.
After qualifying as an accountant, she began her professional journey at Deloitte, working as an auditor in investment management, before joining NatWest as a Finance Director.
However, rather than following a conventional finance leadership trajectory, Wincie made a significant career change into digital technology.
At the time, mobile banking was still emerging, and many organisations had yet to recognise the scale of the transformation that digital technologies would bring to financial services.
Over her 16 years at NatWest, Wincie worked across innovation, AI-powered chatbots, open banking, female entrepreneurship, digital technical capabilities and engineering transformation.
Her career has been shaped by an ability to embrace technological change while recognising the importance of people in making that change successful.
Alongside her professional responsibilities, Wincie became one of the founding members of Tech She Can, an initiative focused on improving opportunities for women in technology.
Today, her advisory work includes FinTech Connect, where she contributes to discussions around digital transformation and the changing financial services technology landscape.
Her experience provides an important perspective on a challenge facing employers across the industry: how can organisations prepare their people for technologies and roles that are evolving faster than traditional workforce planning can accommodate?
AI in Financial Services: The Three Pillars of Successful Transformation
Artificial intelligence has become a central priority for financial institutions, but Wincie argues that successful adoption requires a more considered approach than simply implementing new technology.
Drawing on her experience working with AI across large organisations, alongside her studies in machine learning at Stanford, she identifies three areas businesses need to consider.
The first is customer-facing AI.
This includes technologies such as chatbots, virtual assistants and fraud protection systems that directly influence the customer experience.
Because these applications are highly visible, they are often among the first AI initiatives organisations introduce.
The second area is internal-facing AI, which Wincie believes offers significant opportunities for businesses in the near term.
Rather than focusing exclusively on customer interactions, organisations can use artificial intelligence to improve internal workflows, remove outdated processes and reduce repetitive administrative tasks.
This allows employees to spend more time applying their judgement and expertise to work that creates greater value.
However, Wincie identifies a third area that she believes receives insufficient attention: data.
As she explains during the conversation, "Data is not the back office of AI, it is the foundation of AI."
Without reliable, well-structured data, even sophisticated AI systems can produce inaccurate, fragmented or biased results.
Wincie highlights the importance of investing in data quality before introducing new AI applications. Poor data can undermine the effectiveness of technology, regardless of how advanced the systems themselves may be.
For financial services organisations, this means successful AI transformation requires more than technology investment. It also demands dedicated resources, appropriate expertise and a clear understanding of the data underpinning each initiative.
As AI adoption accelerates, the people responsible for managing data, improving processes and translating business requirements into practical solutions will become increasingly important.
The Changing Demand for AI Skills and FinTech Talent
The rapid development of artificial intelligence is also changing the types of professionals organisations need.
Wincie explains that, historically, much of the demand for AI talent focused on technical specialists, particularly engineers and developers capable of building and coding AI systems.
However, as businesses move beyond experimentation and begin integrating AI into their operations, the skills required are becoming more varied.
Wincie is increasingly seeing demand for AI product owners, practitioners and strategists who can understand both the technology and its commercial applications.
These professionals need to consider how AI fits within an organisation's wider strategy, how investments translate into business outcomes and how technological capabilities can be implemented effectively.
This creates a different challenge for FinTech recruitment.
Businesses are no longer simply looking for people who understand how to develop AI technology. They also need individuals capable of understanding business problems, making decisions and guiding organisations through change.
Yet Wincie identifies a disconnect between the experience employers request and the realities of an evolving technology market.
She explains that some regulated financial institutions remain understandably cautious when recruiting for AI-related positions, sometimes seeking candidates with 15 or 20 years of highly specific experience.
The difficulty is that the technology and its practical applications have developed so rapidly that these expectations may not reflect the available talent market.
Instead, Wincie encourages businesses to recognise the importance of learning agility, resilience and the ability to drive change.
These qualities may prove particularly valuable when organisations are recruiting for positions where the required knowledge and responsibilities are still evolving.
For employers navigating the AI skills gap, the conversation raises an important question: are traditional hiring requirements preventing businesses from recognising candidates who could successfully develop into the roles they need?
Why People Are the Biggest Challenge in Digital Transformation
While artificial intelligence and automation are transforming financial services, Wincie believes that implementing the technology itself is rarely the most difficult part of organisational change.
Instead, the greatest challenges often involve people.
Drawing on her experience leading digital transformation programmes, she explains that engineers can frequently find solutions to complex technical problems.
However, encouraging employees to adopt new systems, develop different working practices and trust unfamiliar technologies can be considerably more difficult.
Organisational adoption depends on factors including incentives, skills, confidence and the willingness to change established behaviours.
This becomes particularly important as financial institutions begin redesigning workflows around AI.
Businesses may invest in sophisticated technology, but without considering how their employees will interact with it, they risk overlooking a critical part of successful implementation.
Wincie argues that workforce transformation must therefore sit alongside technological transformation.
Organisations need to understand the capabilities of their existing employees, identify opportunities for development and consider how individuals can transition into different responsibilities.
This requires businesses to move beyond viewing talent development as a separate human resources initiative.
Instead, reskilling and upskilling should form part of the wider strategy for implementing technological change.
For financial services leaders, this represents a shift in thinking.
Rather than assuming that every new technology requires an entirely new workforce, businesses can explore how existing employees might adapt to emerging requirements.
Stop Hiring. Start Reskilling: Rethinking FinTech Recruitment
One of the strongest messages from Wincie's conversation is that organisations cannot always recruit their way out of a skills shortage.
As businesses compete for specialist software engineering and AI talent, many face the challenge of finding professionals with the right combination of technical expertise, commercial understanding and industry knowledge.
However, Wincie points out that the talent businesses need may not always be available in the external recruitment market.
She also highlights the value of institutional knowledge.
Existing employees often understand an organisation's customers, systems, processes and operational challenges in ways that external candidates may take time to develop.
Rather than overlooking these individuals when technological requirements change, businesses can explore how their experience might translate into new roles.
This does not mean organisations should stop recruiting externally.
Instead, Wincie's experience demonstrates why reskilling should be considered alongside external hiring as part of a broader workforce strategy.
The challenge is identifying which employees have the potential to make these transitions and providing them with the development opportunities required.
For the financial technology sector, where specialist skills are frequently in demand, this approach offers an alternative way to address capability gaps while creating opportunities for people who might otherwise be overlooked.
It also encourages a more inclusive approach to recruitment and workforce development, where potential and transferable skills are recognised alongside formal qualifications and previous job titles.
How Wincie Wong Helped Reskill Over 480 People into Software Engineers
Perhaps the most compelling example discussed during the episode is Wincie's experience of helping more than 480 people transition from non-technical backgrounds into software engineering.
The initiative emerged from a practical business challenge.
The organisation needed more engineers but was unable to recruit them quickly enough.
Wincie also recognised that financial services businesses face competition from major technology companies when attracting engineering talent.
Many people studying computing or engineering naturally consider careers at technology businesses rather than banks or other financial institutions.
Instead of relying entirely on external recruitment, Wincie and her colleagues began exploring the potential of individuals who did not have conventional technical backgrounds.
Over approximately a couple of years, the programme successfully reskilled more than 480 people from a wide range of backgrounds into software engineers.
These individuals had not necessarily studied computer science or followed traditional routes into technology.
Some had previously worked in entirely different professions.
The programme demonstrated that people without existing engineering qualifications could develop the technical capabilities required to succeed in software engineering roles.
However, Wincie emphasises that successful transitions depended on identifying particular personal characteristics.
Through the programme, she recognised three qualities that were especially important: learning agility, resilience and enthusiasm for change.
These characteristics helped individuals navigate the challenges of learning unfamiliar skills and adapting to entirely different professional environments.
The experience also challenged assumptions about what makes someone suitable for a career in technology.
Rather than relying exclusively on technical experience, the programme considered whether individuals demonstrated the motivation and adaptability required to develop new capabilities.
For organisations struggling to fill software engineering vacancies, this example illustrates the potential value of looking beyond conventional candidate profiles.
From Librarian to Software Engineer: The Power of Overlooked Talent
Wincie shares a particularly memorable story about one woman who successfully transitioned into software engineering through the reskilling programme.
Before joining, the woman had worked as a librarian and later spent time as a stay-at-home mother.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she began considering opportunities to make a significant change in her life.
Despite having no technical background, she discovered the reskilling programme and decided to pursue a new career.
She successfully completed the transition and became a software engineer at the bank.
Wincie recalls how proud the woman was of her achievement, particularly when telling other parents that she was now working as a software engineer at a major financial institution.
For Wincie, the story demonstrates that reskilling is not simply about filling vacancies or reducing recruitment pressures.
It can fundamentally change people's lives.
Individuals who may never have considered a career in financial technology can discover opportunities to develop new skills, build confidence and enter professions that previously seemed inaccessible.
This is particularly relevant to discussions about diversity and inclusion in FinTech.
Traditional recruitment requirements can sometimes limit the range of people considered for technical positions.
By recognising transferable skills and creating alternative pathways into technology, organisations can broaden access to careers that might otherwise remain out of reach.
Wincie's example shows how workforce development can support both organisational requirements and meaningful career progression.
Diversity of Thought: Why Different Backgrounds Improve Technology
Beyond helping individuals enter new careers, Wincie explains that reskilling also brought unexpected benefits to the organisation itself.
She recalls another participant who initially struggled to understand the value she could contribute to an experienced engineering team.
Surrounded by colleagues who had spent years working in software development, the individual questioned why she belonged there.
However, over time, she began to recognise that her previous experience gave her a different perspective.
She understood customer problems and could identify issues within existing systems that experienced engineers had not necessarily recognised.
As her confidence developed, she began contributing more actively to team discussions.
Her observations helped colleagues understand why certain processes needed to change and how technology could better serve the people using it.
Wincie explains that similar experiences occurred across the reskilling programme.
Individuals who had previously used organisational systems brought practical knowledge into their new engineering responsibilities.
This allowed them to identify problems, understand customer requirements and contribute directly to improvements.
In some cases, this also helped the organisation reduce costs by enabling employees to make changes without requiring extensive additional resources.
The example demonstrates the practical value of diversity of thought.
People entering technology from different professional backgrounds can bring perspectives that complement established technical expertise.
Rather than viewing a lack of conventional engineering experience solely as a disadvantage, businesses can recognise the value of combining technical training with existing commercial and operational knowledge.
For FinTech employers, this challenges the assumption that the strongest technology teams must always consist of individuals who have followed similar educational and professional paths.
Inclusive Hiring and Skills-Based Recruitment in Financial Services
Wincie's experiences raise wider questions about how organisations assess talent.
Traditional recruitment processes often prioritise specific qualifications, previous job titles and years of experience.
While these requirements can be important, they may not always reveal an individual's ability to learn, adapt and contribute in a rapidly changing environment.
This becomes particularly relevant when recruiting for emerging technologies.
As AI changes the responsibilities associated with existing roles and creates demand for new capabilities, employers may need to reconsider which skills are essential from the outset and which can be developed through training.
Wincie's emphasis on learning agility, resilience and enthusiasm offers a different way of evaluating potential.
These qualities are not limited to people with particular academic backgrounds or established careers in technology.
They can be demonstrated by individuals working across many different professions.
The reskilling programme also highlights the importance of creating environments where people feel confident contributing their perspectives.
As Nadia discusses during the episode, employees need to feel comfortable questioning established processes and challenging assumptions.
This is especially valuable when organisations are redesigning systems and workflows.
People with different experiences may recognise problems that others have become accustomed to overlooking.
For businesses considering more inclusive hiring practices, the discussion demonstrates how recognising potential can create opportunities for both individuals and employers.
It also reinforces why diversity and inclusion should be considered in the context of organisational performance, innovation and workforce development.
The Future of Work: Preparing Employees for AI Workforce Transformation
As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply embedded in financial services, businesses will need to consider how existing roles and responsibilities may evolve.
Wincie's experience suggests that workforce transformation cannot be approached simply as a process of replacing existing skills with new ones.
Instead, organisations need to understand how technology changes the work people perform and how employees can be supported through that transition.
AI may reduce the time required for repetitive tasks, but this can also create opportunities for people to focus on judgement, decision-making and more complex responsibilities.
At the same time, organisations will need professionals who can connect technological capabilities with commercial objectives.
This creates opportunities for people who understand both business operations and emerging technologies.
Wincie's emphasis on reskilling highlights the importance of preparing employees for these changes before skills gaps become more difficult to address.
It also demonstrates why organisations should consider workforce design as an essential part of digital transformation.
Technology strategies may define what systems businesses want to introduce, but workforce strategies determine whether employees have the capabilities and confidence to make those changes successful.
For financial services employers, the future of work will therefore depend not only on accessing specialist technical talent but also on developing the potential of people already within their organisations.
FinTech Connect 2026: Bringing Digital Transformation into Practice
As an Advisory Board Member for FinTech Connect, Wincie also shares what she is looking forward to at the 2026 event.
Her involvement in the Digital Transformation Advisory Board includes helping shape the topics and discussions taking place at the conference.
One of her priorities is ensuring conversations move beyond technology pitches and theoretical possibilities.
Instead, she wants attendees to hear practical examples from professionals who are implementing change within their organisations.
This includes understanding what is working, what has been less successful and what lessons can be applied across financial services.
Wincie also highlights the importance of bringing academic perspectives into these conversations.
By combining research and theory with real-world implementation experiences, she believes the event can provide a more balanced understanding of technological transformation.
Workforce design is another area she is particularly interested in exploring.
Despite its importance to successful transformation, Wincie believes it does not always receive sufficient attention, whether at board level or within operational teams.
Through conversations with leaders and industry professionals, she hopes to explore how organisations are adapting their workforces to changing technological requirements.
The event offers an opportunity to connect these discussions with the practical challenges businesses face when introducing AI and redesigning their operations.
What Does This Mean for the Future of FinTech Recruitment?
Wincie Wong's conversation with Nadia Edwards-Dashti highlights a significant challenge for the financial technology industry.
As businesses invest in artificial intelligence, automation and digital transformation, their ability to succeed will depend on much more than the technologies they introduce.
They will also need people who can adapt, learn and apply those technologies effectively.
The experience of reskilling more than 480 individuals into software engineering roles demonstrates the potential of looking beyond traditional recruitment requirements.
It shows how organisations can develop capabilities internally, recognise overlooked talent and create new career opportunities for people from different backgrounds.
At the same time, Wincie's insights into AI recruitment reveal why employers may need to reconsider their expectations when searching for specialist professionals.
Demand for technical expertise remains important, but the ability to understand business challenges, lead change and develop new skills is also becoming increasingly valuable.
For Harrington Starr, as a specialist financial technology recruitment business, these discussions are particularly relevant to the changing relationship between employers, candidates and the skills required across financial services.
The conversation reinforces the importance of understanding not only which technical capabilities organisations need today, but also how those requirements are evolving and where transferable skills can create opportunities.
Successful workforce planning requires businesses to consider external recruitment, internal development and the changing responsibilities associated with emerging technologies.
Ultimately, the episode challenges organisations to think differently about where talent comes from and how it can be developed.
