Case studies
Scaling up a client
Going from a startup to running at scale is one of the hardest changes for a tech disruptor to achieve
CASE STUDY: helping a Fintech startup to operate at scale
A Fintech startup gained a new investor and they were tasked with bringing about returns on that investment on a consistent and sustainable basis. The firm needed to move from its founding ethos to running at scale, and quickly. Mark McKee helped to deliver a new product roadmap and strategy that brought about results that gave confidence to investors that the firm really was moving from startup to scale-up.
Methodology
Mark brought his unique qualities of being able to bridge the relationship between C-suite, sales, engineering, operations and infrastructure to get everyone aligned around what problems they were solving and in what order. Mark worked closely with the tech team to ensure people knew the scope, what the usability for traders should be and that the features would compel them to move off competitor technology. This resulted in numerous high-quality product deliveries that clients loved. People across the firm remained focused on a strategic set of outcomes and ensured that the new products were supportable and that clients would never wait more than an hour to get answers to any questions they had on using the platform (both desktop and mobile).
Results
Working with founders, sales and technology, a new approach to prioritising work and meeting delivery commitments allowed the company to grow and be more operationally robust, scalable and outcome-focused. The firm doubled revenues within 12 months and gave it the market presence and reputation in low-latency trading that brought more clients onboard, which increased market share: a win-win.
Turnaround operation
CASE STUDY: helping a commodities firm as CTO
Mark ran the technology for a major global oil derivatives market-maker who needed a CTO to come in on an interim basis to build out the team, enhance the technology and launch a new digital trading platform. Mark also ran a transformation around how traders priced their products by reducing operational risk and improving performance for prices to reach clients on APIs and HTML5 UIs. This used the latest technology, including Rust for low-latency server-side components. There was also a need to improve cyber security posture and enhance network and cloud infrastructure, which improved both security and performance. Releases were done multiple times per week and the team he hired in were highly productive and a great addition to the existing team, working in a cohesive and high-performing culture.
This was mostly about ensuring Mark put the right people in their roles and enabling them to thrive in a culture of delivery and innovation, whilst using AI tools wisely. People skills went a long way in making this is a successful mission.
Florida Fintech AI advisory
CASE STUDY: helping a Fintech manage AI risks
We were engaged by a fintech in Florida to bring them market insights and advise on AI adoption.
A legitimate concern for executives was the potential impact that AI usage from the tech team could have in terms of opening up the company to risks. This was along the lines of cyber threats, both from outside and from the AI itself going beyond its remit and sending proprietary data externally.
In a sensitive matter like this, we were able to bring help on mitigating risks and also looking at different use-cases. As is often the case with AI adoption, treating it with the same guardrails as any other technology is key.
Our Clients
We work with a range of fintech businesses, from startups to established companies. Our clients appreciate our expertise in technology leadership, strategy and architecture, and our commitment to their success. We've helped clients from startups in the FX and equities eTrading space, commodities mid-sized, and large, global banks.