FCA visits Nexus to discuss innovation, AI and the future of financial services

During their time at Nexus, the FCA team met with Mark Mildren, Head of Innovation Programmes & Partnerships at Nexus, and Professor Iain Clacher, Professor of Pensions and Finance at Leeds University Business School.

Discussions centred on the importance of collaboration between regulators, universities and industry – particularly as rapid advances in technology continue to reshape financial markets at pace. These conversations reflected Nexus’ role as a convening space: bringing together expertise across disciplines to tackle complex challenges around innovation, governance and trust.

A highlight of the visit was a roundtable discussion with master’s students from the University of Leeds – offering a rare and valuable opportunity for open dialogue between a senior regulator and the next generation of postgraduate researchers.

Students posed thoughtful, wide-ranging questions spanning:

• Artificial intelligence and its application in financial services
• Risk management and regulatory resilience
• Data, ethics and transparency
• Global financial systems and cross-border challenges

The discussion underlined both the transformative potential of emerging technologies and the shared responsibility of regulators, institutions and innovators to keep consumer protection and market integrity at the forefront.

Reflecting on the visit, Mark Mildren, Head of Innovation & Partnerships at Nexus (UoL) said:

“At Nexus, we work at the intersection of research, industry and policy. Bringing the FCA into dialogue with our students demonstrates the importance of exposing emerging talent to real-world regulatory perspectives – especially as innovation continues to transform financial services.”

Professor Iain Clacher, added: “Engagements like this reinforce the role universities play in shaping not only future professionals, but future thinking. These discussions help students understand how global financial systems balance innovation with responsibility.”

Sheree Howard, Executive Director for Authorisations and interim joint Chief Operations Officer commented: “It was a pleasure to visit Nexus [at the University of Leeds] to see first-hand how they are supporting innovation by bringing together research, talent and business. At the FCA, we’re committed to supporting growth and helping firms move successfully from start-up to scale-up. I’m keen to build on this engagement with Nexus and explore how we can work together to support sustainable growth and innovation.”

The visit concluded with lunch and informal discussion, allowing relationships to develop further and underlining the value of continued, meaningful engagement between academia and policymakers.

Nexus remains committed to creating opportunities for collaboration across sectors -supporting responsible innovation and helping ensure the UK continues to lead globally in financial services and regulation.

To find out more about events and partnerships at Nexus, get in touch: https://nexusleeds.co.uk/contact-us/