Innovation is a very popular concept for today’s global businesses. Change, supported by technology, is occurring at an accelerated and unprecedented rate. Businesses all over the world are looking for tools to perform their transactions in a more innovative and efficient manner. Sue Britton, Founder and CEO of Fintech Growth Syndicate Inc. (FGS) describes herself as “passionate about innovation.” Founded in 2016, FGS helps banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions realize the changes that they want to make. Their clients can either outsource the whole project to them, or leverage from their experience, knowledge, and contacts. FGS, a 15-people technology firm, is deeply embedded in Canada’s fintech ecosystem.
As I talk to Sue, it is clear that she is very proud of her accomplishment—who would not be! And what’s more, she proves that it’s never too late to change career and start something from the ground up. Reflecting on her professional life, Sue says, “I’m turning 50 this year. I came to a point in my life where after a long career I felt like starting a new one late in my life. This is the first time I am doing something I love.” She holds a degree in commerce, worked for the Four Seasons for many years, then moved on to work for one of Canada’s leading financial technology firms before setting up her own business.
In a sector that is largely male-dominated, to find a woman who is a senior executive and owns her own firm is rare to say the least. Women are so underrepresented in the technology sector, even more so as executives of technology companies, that profiling Sue is an important and unique opportunity.
Mother and wife, Sue is quick to credit her husband for allowing her to pursue her career while he stayed home raising their three now grown children. She says, “It wasn’t the most popular thing to do at the time, but it worked for us.” After 25 years of experience in the corporate world, 47 years young, and driven by ambition, she felt frustrated with being limited in her professional life. She knew she was passionate about innovation. This passion led her to start her own company. Sue admits that setting up shop wasn’t as an easy enterprise to undertake as doing innovation within a company. However, “being an entrepreneur is an extremely rewarding experience.” Sue continues, “It’s what gets me up in the morning, solving problems that seem opportunities and making those opportunities in the financial services space happen faster.”
When addressing the issue of gender imbalance in the technology sector, Sue firmly believes that men and women need to be to committed to ensure that both genders are equally represented in public forums. Women have historically been off-stage more than on-stage. Sue believes that it is long overdue for that dynamic to change. Sue says, “When I am asked to speak at conferences, I will not entertain speaking if the female representation I’m with is less than 50 percent.”
Although, she is a living example that women can find their space in technology, there is still a long and winding road ahead. Her company tracks all the Canadian start-ups in the fintech industry. Out of thousands of them, female CEOs and founders can be counted on two hands. This is less a reflection of a dearth of women who have the right skills, as of the fact that women are doing other things and not working in the technology-oriented spaces. Men need to be part of the solution, and women must not be afraid of calling out on certain behaviours that perpetrate gender inequality.
That’s why her advice to women who want to pursue a career in technology is to behave as though they are equal to men and not to settle for a job that is not fulfilling. Also, Sue strongly recommends to reach out to the start-up community which is ”made up by a generous bunch of people” congregating online and offline in various meetup groups. There is even a Facebook group called StartupNorth whose members are heads of VC companies and entrepreneurs among others. Incubators and accelerators are also a good place to go, to talk to people who can make the right introduction.
