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Clarity

Mike Baliman

London

NED, Advisory Director, Adviser to Fintechs/FS. 34 years as a Director. Founder & Host of the London Fintech Podcast. Author of "The Realpolitik of the Unlisted Company Board". Former Global Head of Risk and Global Head of Fixed Income Fund Management.

$5.00/min

6 Calls

6 Reviews

43 minutes
Avg. call

Finance Tech startups and entrepreneurship Risk Management Executive Mentoring Governance

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Design and Create an Entrepreneurial Board

For Founders and their Businesses Boards can be heaven or they can be hell. Heaven is when they support (&challenge where necessary) you and your business and make both grow far faster than they would otherwise. Hell is when they make your life a misery and you wished they didn't exist. I can help you navigate towards Heaven and away from Hell.

Over two years I interviewed 80 experienced Founders and Board Directors and in 2020 published "The Realpolitik of the Unlisted Board - Making Your Board An Engine of Growth" (which currently has 16 Amazon reviews all 5/5*). By now I have spoken to over 100 about their Boards.

As the Founder and Host of the London Fintech Podcast the oldest and most blue-chip podcast in Fintech in Europe with over half a million downloads in 193 countries worldwide I have interviewed over 150 guests (and processed well over ten times as many companies most of whom never made the cut) who include not just the Founders of the hottest of the UK's businesses in its hottest tech sector but have also included the most senior policy makers - Lord Turner, the last Head of the FSA, Sir Paul Tucker former deputy Governor Bank of England and the Lord Mayor.

I personally have been a Director for over 30 years and am now an evangelical about the potential of Boards and helping people go in that direction.

Advisor/Mentor to Founders/NEDs

I am a Non-Executive, Board Advisor/Mentor and Director with over 30 years Board level experience in Listed/Unlisted Companies in FS & Tech. Highlights include: Advisory Director for leading Fintechs (everything from strategy brainstorming to network introductions), NED of a Mayfair business club, advising many Fintechs and blue-chip FS institutions on Board-level matters, Merchant Bank Director for a decade, the first Global Head of Risk in the City reforming the entire Risk Governance, Chairing its Tactical Risk Committee, overseeing divisional business plans and having top decile performance when the youngest Head of Fixed Income Investment in the City.

I created a Fintech in 1998, generated 7-fig sales and arranged a trade sale for the business. I created Europe’s longest-running and most blue-chip Fintech Podcast, with over 600,000 downloads in 193 countries worldwide. The just short of 200 guests include not just the Founders of the hottest of the UK's businesses in its hottest tech sector but have also included the most senior policy makers - Lord Turner (last Head of the FSA), Sir Paul Tucker (former deputy Governor Bank of England) and the Lord Mayor. I founded The Unlisted Board, where I interviewed over 100 Unlisted and Listed Board members, mostly Founders about what goes wrong with Boards and more importantly how to put it right and have written the best-reviewed UK book on the entrepreneurial governance of Unlisted Company Boards, which currently has 100% 5/5* reviews on Amazon.

Fintech/Financial Services Strategic Advice/Understanding

There are few people indeed with my experience of the old and new worlds of FS.. As host of the blue-chip London Fintech Podcast I have spent over six years full-time immersed in the world of Fintech in all its areas. I have over 36 years experience of Finance and held senior management positions as a Merchant Banker - as Global Head of Fixed Income Asset Management and the first Global Head of Risk in the City. I started my career in tech and created one of London's first Fintechs in the 1990s. If you have any lack of clarity about FS and your stragey within it give me a call.

Answers 0
Reviews 6

Answers

Reviews

Mike had a lot of great information and insights to share regarding my circumstances and questions. Really enjoyed the call.

Chris Bowles Source: Clarity

Mike provided valuable advice to me as a new fintech founder, offering to make connections with experienced professionals in my subsector which I would otherwise not have access to. Extremely helpful call and not short of quirky metaphors to help illustrate what needs to be done. Thank you very much.

Dan Jones Source: Clarity

"Do or Don't"
Great time learning from Mike, we even went over the time and he was still giving useful feedback on my new journey.
I'll be sure to keep in touch and hopefully make the most of my learnings!

Adesore Omisore Source: Clarity

I consulted Mike on two matters to do with developing our board, and also with seeking non-executive director appointments. Not only was mike able to answer my questions and point me to valuable resources, he also pointed out several critical blind spots that I had not considered and that, frankly, I did not have the experience to appreciate. I'm now going to go away and complete the "homework" he gave me, and look forward to catching up with Mike again in six months or so for a review.

Lewis Bassett Source: Clarity

My call with Mike was extremely helpful. Full of useful advice, delivered in a friendly, down-to-earth way. Helpfully the advice came from a position of real authority having started his own FinTech as well as working in senior positions in the City. I would definitely recommend taking the time to talk to Mike.

Alistair Hutchinson Source: Clarity

Mike has been an excellent help to me.

Before the conversation, he took time to inquire about the questions that I have and was well-prepared to give me the best of advice, spanning across not only his personal experiences but also referring me to various other sources from books and podcasts to further networking opportunities that might be of use when solving my issues. This has been done in a manner that is very professional and friendly at the same time. Greatly appreciated!

Martynas Pilkis Source: Clarity

Member since January 2021