Conor Coughlan
Chief Marketing Officer at Fenergo
I am senior business professional with over 20 years of experience in the Banking, Technology, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) sectors. I am currently a Chief Marketing Officer for a Global Regulatory Technology firm operating in all major markets. I am recognised top 10 RegTech, FinTech & WealthTech Influencer, thought leader, mentor, motivator, investor & advisor. When not discussing, debating and and/or developing new market strategies and/or solutions, I am passionate advocate for social justice, LGBT equality in addition to being an award winning B2B marketer. I have lived in Dublin, London, Athens, Paris, Hong Kong and I am now based in New York.
How did you get to become an expert in your key topics?
I was fortunate to start my career under the guidance of some of the most innovative leaders in their fields. I have worked for some major industry players (Thomson Reuters, MarketAccess, Algorithmics, Fitch Solutions, TRAX etc) and actively collaborated with Accenture, Capgemini, Salesforce, Finastra, IBM and many more). From an early stage in my career I was very interested in communication, technology & innovation and how the combination of these areas can better help to transform industry and society. When entering the BFSI space I was fortunate to get direct exposure to regulatory policy formation and product development. My past roles and client communities have certainly aided my overall understanding of how we are able to better enable access to financial services, regulatory compliance and digital transformation. I am fortunate to be an award winning B2B marketer, author on innovation, Regtech, Fintech, Cryptocurrencies, equality, social justice and hate crime in addition to being ranked as a social influencer and amplifier.
What topic areas are you most passionate about?
Professionally I am most interested in regulatory compliance, technology married with digital transformation and how firms can deliver seamless customer experiences, whilst adhering to all regulatory and service expectations (no easy task). In essence I am a most keen on RegTech; Fintech; WealthTech & Digital Transformation outside of work I am passionate about social justice, hate crime reduction, equality & mentoring in addition to some investment projects.
Which influencers influence you within those key topics?
I was fortunate to have worked alongside some industry heavy weights they have and still do influence and challenge my thinking. I am fortunate to have a very extensive network of peers and I am lucky to count many as friends. I am often asked who I am influenced by on social media and the truth is (outside my network) I am driven more by academic research, client engagement and insights. however I am closely ranked and in contact with Urs Bolt, April Rudin, Sam Gibbons, David Bundi and many others who are great pioneers in their respective fields.
Outside of your key topics who else influences you?
My sisters who are also marketing & social media gurus and tech addicts. They provide daily inspiration and motivation (our parents have a background in journalism and print media, so I guess we all converged at some point). My friends and close industry peers who work in a broad range of sectors and industries (creative, ART, new media, NGO, Government and Commercial). I also actively track MIT, Harvard Business, TedX, Capgemini, Deloitte and although not aligned to my area of expertise I keenly track output from NASA and the ESA, as they are always pioneering new concepts and ways of getting things done.
How would you describe your offline influence?
I am an active practitioner not a consultant. The work I write and speak about is actually happening. I do not opine about possibilities unlike so many consultants. I am an active practitioner.
What are your passions outside of work?
If a brand wanted to work with you, what offline / online activities would you be most interested in?
Firstly the brand would have to make sense, very often I see some social pioneers working to promote content or brands that are not aligned to their area of expertise or passions. There would have to be a natural fit . I am an active market practitioner and not a consultant, so any related work would not have to conflict with my employers and or associated client communities. However I already do a range of podcasts, webinars, event chairing for non-competing firms and industry groups.
What brands have you worked with?
Thomson Reuters; Refinitiv; Finastra; Capgemini; Accenture; Salesforce; Fitch Ratings; MarketAccess; B2B Marketing; IHS Markit; Six Financial; Forbes, TABB Group etc.
Which non-paid activities would you be keen to take part in if the opportunity raised your profile or delivered value to your audience?
I do a lot of non-gratis engagement. I currently mentor three external professionals and contribute to a number of educational programs. In general if you need a quote or to repurpose some of my work then I am happy to help.
What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?
Well in true social media form send me a message on Twitter or LinkedIn or contact me via Onalytica