Boards · Tier 1 Online Course

Build your board career in fintech & regulated financial services online, at your own pace.

Expert-led, on-demand 12 hours online course. Join the world’s first fintech board programme and get UK board-ready with the only board course backed by top headhunters and senior fintech leaders.

12 hours on demand
16 strategic modules
1 year access
£999 incl. VAT

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12 hours

Premium board-level training, available 24/7

Strategic modules

1 year

Access to all course materials

£999

Online only

What you get

You’ll immediately gain access to:

Everything in Tier 1 is available online, 24/7, for a full year from purchase.

12 hours of premium board-level training available 24/7; self-paced
16 strategic modules designed for future board leaders in regulated financial services
Meet leading executive search firms: nine recorded sessions with top board headhunters
Meet Fintech Unicorn founder, Chairs & NEDs: experienced entrepreneurs and board members share their valuable board tips
How to find your first board role - a practical guide to this sector
One year of access to all course materials and updates to make you more successful in your own board career

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Tier 1 curriculum

Your modules and your lecturers

Every module is led by a practising Chair, NED, investor or regulatory specialist from fintech and regulated financial services.

Module 1

Board Fundamentals

Patrick Dunne OBE

Chair & Board Member, Founder of Boardelta

Board overview and governance frameworks
Directors’ duties in regulated sectors
Role of Board vs Executive
Sub-committees: Audit, Risk, Remuneration, Nomination
Key roles: Chair, SID, NED, CEO, CFO

Module 2

Portfolio Career Strategy

Ralph Grayson

Founder Partner, Sainty Hird & Partners

Advisory vs NED vs Fractional roles
Working with founders vs CEOs
Listed board dynamics
Career progression: Advisor to NED to Chair
Income mix & portfolio structuring

Module 3

Fintech Advisory & NED Landscape

Susanne Chishti

Chair, FINTECH Circle

Fintech market dynamics
Positioning & credibility
Commercial structuring (fees, equity)
Case studies

Module 4

Fundraising Journey

Ian Merricks

Chair, Whitehorse Capital & VenturePath

Capital raising stages
Founder pressures
Round execution strategies
Board advisor role in fundraising

Module 5

Regulatory Accountability

Hyder Jumabhoy

Partner, White & Case LLP

FCA & PRA governance expectations
Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SMCR)
Fiduciary, reputational and personal risk exposure
Importance of D&O insurance

Module 6

AI for Board Members

Simon Poole

Non-Executive Director, Grounded Thinking

AI strategy and data foundations
Opportunities and risks of agentic AI
The board’s role in AI-driven transformation
AI regulation in financial services

Module 7

Chair & NED Interview: scaling a challenger bank

Charles McManus

Former CEO, ClearBank

Building and leading a regulated bank board
Chair and CEO working relationship
What boards look for in a first-time NED

Module 8

Chair & NED Interview: global payments governance

Ann Cairns

Chair TMF Group and Crown Agents Bank, Former Executive Vice Chair, Mastercard

Board leadership at global scale
Diversity, culture and board effectiveness
Building a portfolio of listed and private roles

Module 9

Chair & NED Interview: the investor’s board lens

Helena Coles

Non-Executive Director & Chair of Investment Trusts

How investors assess board quality
Preparing for board interviews and due diligence
Adding value in high-growth fintechs

Module 10

Chair & NED Interview: risk, audit and regulation

Jim Coyle

Chair & NED, regulated financial services

Chairing audit and risk committees
Regulator expectations of individual directors
Portfolio career lessons from a banking board veteran

TIER 1 - HEADHUNTER TIPS TO HELP POSITION YOURSELF FOR YOUR NEXT BOARD ROLE

Top Headhunter sessions

Nine recorded interviews with leading executive search partners: understand how board roles are sourced and how to position yourself effectively with the firms that make the introductions.

Session 01

Deborah Cooper

Miles Advisory

Session 02

Kate Grussing CBE

Sapphire Partners

Session 03

Lisa Mazza

Teneo

Session 04

Paul Reynolds

Norman Broadbent

Session 05

Tanya Gass

Norman Broadbent

Session 06

Suki Sandhu OBE

Audeliss

Session 07

Julia Fearn

Warren Partners

Session 08

Khurram Hussain

Warren Partners

Session 09

Emily Blott

Russell Reynolds Associates

Outcomes

What you’ll leave with

A defensible, paid portfolio career strategy - and the judgement to use it.

A defensible, paid portfolio career strategy
Clear role boundaries and practical governance knowledge
Confidence to spot where you add most value across sectors and company stages
Long-term credibility - and a measurable lift in interview success

The difference

What makes this programme different

Unlike generic portfolio or board programmes, this one:

Focuses on regulated financial services only
Covers fractional, advisory, NED and Chair roles together
Includes personal career tips from top industry headhunters
Emphasises judgement, boundaries and downside risk
Reflects how regulators actually interpret behaviour
Is grounded in real fintech scenarios

Certification

Become board certified.

On completion of all modules you receive the FINTECH Circle Board Certificate, with CPD-eligible hours you can log against your professional development.

FAQs

Questions before you enrol

How does Tier 1 compare with Tiers 2 and 3?+

Tier 1 is the self-directed online foundation and is included in both live tiers. Tiers 2 and 3 add live webinars, Pop-Up Boards with fintech CEOs, London events, NED CV clinics, coaching and personal introductions.

When can I start?+

Straight away. Tier 1 is always-on and self-paced, so you buy today and work through the modules at your own pace, 24/7, for a full year.

Do I receive a certificate?+

Yes. On completion of all 16 modules you receive the FINTECH Circle Board Certificate, with CPD-eligible hours.

Do I need existing board experience?+

No. Tier 1 is designed for the board-curious: senior professionals in financial and professional services exploring paid portfolio careers as Board Advisors, NEDs, Chairs and Fractional Executives.

What exactly do I get for £999? +

Immediate access for 1 year of 12 hours of premium board-level training across 16 strategic modules, Chair and NED interviews, nine headhunter sessions, our guide to how to find your first board role in the booming fintech sector. This is not a generic board training but customized for the fintech and regulated financial servies sector.

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FINTECH Circle Online Board Course (Tier 1)

£999

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