Jason Bates

Co-Founder of Starling Bank & Monzo, Deputy CEO of 11:FS, Record-Breaking Crowdfunding Campaigner, FinTech Industry Leader, Host of FinTech Insider Podcast & Former Chief Customer Officer at Monzo

Jason Bates’s Biography:

John Bates is Deputy CEO and Chief Product Officer at 11:FS, a globally recognised fintech consultancy, and one of the UK’s most influential voices in digital banking and financial innovation. He is frequently hired as a London keynote speaker for her rare combination of startup-building experience, regulatory expertise, and customer-centric product leadership. Having co-founded multiple challenger banks and fintech ventures, he brings practical insight into how organisations can innovate responsibly, scale successfully, and put customers at the centre of financial services transformation.

John Bates began his career after studying technology and systems design, developing a strong foundation in engineering and problem-solving that shaped her later leadership in fintech. He started as a systems architect at Accenture, delivering complex technical solutions for major global clients, before moving into product leadership roles at early-stage technology companies. Over the following decade, he led large-scale transformation programmes in consulting and start-up environments, building expertise in digital strategy, organisational change, and customer-focused product development, experience that later enabled him to co-found several influential fintech companies and help shape the modern challenger-banking movement.

Why Hire Jason Bates?

John Bates is hired as a London keynote speaker because he has been directly involved in many of the most influential milestones in modern fintech. As Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Monzo, he helped lead one of the fastest crowdfunding campaigns in UK startup history, raising £1 million in just 96 seconds and demonstrating the power of community-driven banking. Earlier, as Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Starling Bank, he led the successful regulatory application, giving him first-hand experience of launching a digital bank within one of the world’s most demanding financial frameworks. These achievements make him a trusted voice on scaling fintech businesses, navigating regulation, and building customer-led innovation.

His perspective is further strengthened by his experience beyond founding teams. As Co-Founder and Board Member at Xinja and Advisor & Investor at Rabobank’s Innovation Advisory Board, he brings a rare combination of operator, board-level, and investor insight. Event organisers value his ability to explain how fintech companies grow sustainably, how boards guide innovation responsibly, and how banks and startups can work together to deliver meaningful change.

John is also recognised for shaping industry conversations and celebrating innovation across financial services. Hosting the 11:FS Awards in 2024 highlighted his standing as a respected industry leader and communicator. Earlier ventures such as founding Freeformers to drive digital transformation and leading major corporate change programmes at HeartShift and Beaufortes show his breadth of experience across startups, scale-ups, and large organisations. This mix of practical fintech leadership, regulatory expertise, transformation experience, and industry influence is why he is consistently booked as a keynote speaker in London on topics such as digital banking, customer-centric innovation, and the future of financial services.

Jason Bates’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define Jason Bates’s impressive career:

• 2024 – Hosted the 11:FS Awards, celebrating innovation in financial services
• 2020 – Advisor & Investor at Rabobank Innovation Advisory Board
• 2016 – Deputy CEO & Chief Product Officer at 11:FS
• 2017 – Co-Founder & Board Member at Xinja
• 2015 – Co-Founder & Chief Customer Officer at Monzo
• 2015 – Raised £1m in 96 seconds through Monzo’s crowdfunding campaign
• 2014 – Co-Founder & Chief Customer Officer at Starling Bank
• 2014 – Led the successful regulatory application for Starling Bank
• 2012 – Co-Founder of Freeformers, driving digital transformation and social impact
• 2009 – Managing Director at HeartShift, leading large corporate transformation programmes