Source: CFIT/Hawthorn Advisors
The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) has confirmed the appointment of Anna Wallace as chief executive officer.
Wallace will lead CFIT into its next phase of growth, as it prepares to launch new industry-wide innovation coalitions and continues to drive progress in areas including Smart Data, digital ID, financial inclusion, digital assets and AI.
Anna Wallace, CFIT’s incoming chief executive officer
She begins her new role at CFIT on 1 September 2025, joining from the Gates Foundation, where she currently serves as senior program officer for consumer protection and regtech, with a focus on financial inclusion and spurring regulatory technology. Previously, she was head of innovation at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), overseeing functions such as the FCA’s Innovation Hub, Advice Unit and Regulatory Sandbox.
Wallace also has direct experience of working with and investing in scale-up technology businesses, as an early-stage backer of FNA, Proto and Regnology, three companies addressing customer complaints, fraud and regulatory reporting respectively.
Wallace will ensure CFIT continues to unite government, industry and regulators to tackle the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the UK’s financial ecosystem. She will lead CFIT’s efforts to spearhead emerging technologies and proofs of concept that will drive economic growth – drawing on her experience as co-founder and funder of the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance’s SupTech Lab, which helps regulators and the private sector spin out new minimum viable products.
Madush Gupta, acting chair of CFIT, said: “CFIT exists to improve the lives of consumers and corporates by driving innovation between the public and private sector. Anna’s impressive background, spanning financial inclusion, innovation and regulation, uniquely positions her to help CFIT deliver on this critical role in the UK’s fintech ecosystem.
“We believe she is the ideal candidate to lead CFIT through its next chapter with its newly adopted hybrid model, simultaneously running publicly and privately funded coalitions.”
CFIT’s incoming chief executive officer, Anna Wallace, said: “What CFIT has accomplished in the two-and-a-half years since its inception is remarkable. From a standing start, the organisation has coordinated multiple industry-wide coalitions on some of the biggest themes and emerging technologies in fintech, such as Smart Data and digital ID, as well as taking the crucial first steps to unblock the seemingly intractable barriers to innovation.
“I’m excited to drive this work forward by delivering prototype solutions, roadmaps and policy proposals that build on our existing accomplishments, as well as through new Coalitions and expanding into solving other fintech challenges including AI, tokenisation and digital assets. CFIT’s success has relied on strong partnerships with government and industry, and I look forward to continuing that very successful collaboration.”
In March, CFIT published its blueprint for fighting economic crime through the introduction of Digital Company ID. Three industry-led working groups are building a prototype Digital Company ID, identifying use cases and setting trust and governance standards. In June, CFIT announced how its next industry-wide coalition, including Mastercard, Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC, will develop tech solutions to close the UK’s SME credit gap.
Wallace succeeds Ezechi Britton MBE, CFIT’s inaugural chief executive officer.
Further reading: CFIT reveals how next coalition intends to tackle SME lending
