
Alper Kara is a finance professor and head of department for accounting, finance and economics at the University of Huddersfield. Alper has a MBA and PhD from the University of Wales, and before academia he worked as a bond and FX trader.
Finder’s series of Innovation Awards recognise financial providers that are innovating in their chosen field, by bringing new and impactful features to the market and delivering beneficial services to their customers.
Now in their second year, these particular Innovation Awards focus on the lending sector. A shortlist of providers was drawn together by Finder’s subject area specialists and the finalists were then assessed by an expert panel of judges.
We are delighted to announce the winning and highly commended companies in the following categories:
Watch our video of the awards announcement or click on the categories underneath it to reveal our winners!
The shortlist of finalists in each category was selected by Finder’s subject area specialists, who identified the providers they felt were displaying key innovations in their field.
The shortlist was then passed to an expert judging panel (details below), who decided the winning and highly commended companies by assessing the finalists across three different criteria: uniqueness of innovation, impact in the market and value to customers.
Alper Kara, Professor and Head of Department of Accounting, Finance & Economics, University of Huddersfield
Keith Kilcourse, Credit & Loans Publisher, Finder
Kimberley Waldron, Co-Founder, SkyParlour PR
Julian Wells, Director, Whitecap Consulting
Alper Kara is a finance professor and head of department for accounting, finance and economics at the University of Huddersfield. Alper has a MBA and PhD from the University of Wales, and before academia he worked as a bond and FX trader.
Keith Kilcourse is a publisher at Finder covering credit cards and loans. He is an ex-MoneySavingExpert alumni, and is passionate about helping consumers make the right choices when it comes to credit cards, loans and lending.
Kimberley Waldron is the co-founder of award-winning fintech PR agency SkyParlour, which delivers PR campaigns for its international payments, banking, cybersecurity and ecommerce clients. Kimberley also hosts the popular Future of Banking podcast, co-chairs the Pro-Manchester Fintech Committee and is an industry advisor for Salford University’s MSc in fintech.
Julian Wells is a strategy consultant with over 25 years’ experience in financial services. He is the director of Whitecap Consulting, which is particularly active in the digital, technology and fintech sectors. Whitecap’s clients have included banks, building societies, technology providers and fintechs, as well as retailers and firms in the intermediary financial services market.
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