Fintech advisory services at DisInnova help boards, founders and executives strengthen governance, risk, control and operating model discipline across regulated financial services, payments, e-money, digital banking and fintech environments. Senior experience across banking, payments and digital financial services is brought to bear so leadership teams can navigate intense expectations from regulators, customers and investors with clarity.
Engagements typically span fintech governance and financial services governance, risk management and control frameworks, operating model design and accountability, and the translation of regulatory expectations into day-to-day processes — calibrated to the firm's scale, product mix and stage of growth.
For growth-stage fintechs and regulated firms scaling beyond their original foundations, the focus is control discipline that keeps pace with the business: fintech governance and controls for banking, payments and platform models, board and committee reporting fit for a regulated environment, and practical remediation where weaknesses have built up.
The objective is straightforward: well-governed financial services and fintech businesses where innovation, governance, risk and execution are consistently aligned.
Part of DisInnova's senior business advisory services practice.
When financial services and fintech advisory is relevant
- —Ahead of authorisation, licence variation or significant product launch
- —When scale or product complexity has outgrown existing controls
- —Following supervisory feedback or s.166-style reviews
- —When entering new markets, partnerships or platform arrangements
- —When investors or boards seek independent perspective on regulated risk
Regulatory and industry context
DisInnova's financial services and fintech advisory draws on direct experience navigating the expectations of UK and international regulatory environments. Advisory engagements are informed by practical understanding of frameworks and obligations including:
FCA authorisation and supervision
Governance, controls and operating model readiness aligned to FCA expectations for authorised firms and appointed representatives.
Payment services and e-money regulation
PSD2, EMD2 and safeguarding obligations translated into practical governance and control frameworks.
Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR)
Accountability mapping, reasonable steps evidence and governance structures supporting SM&CR compliance.
Skilled person reviews (s.166)
Preparation for, response to and remediation following s.166 reviews and supervisory interventions.
Operational resilience
Mapping important business services, setting impact tolerances and embedding resilience governance across the firm.
Consumer Duty
Governance and oversight frameworks ensuring good customer outcomes are embedded in product design, pricing and communications.
Advisory across the fintech lifecycle
Pre-authorisation
Governance foundations, control frameworks and regulatory readiness ahead of licence applications or significant permissions changes.
Early growth
Strengthening governance, risk and control foundations as products scale, teams grow and regulatory scrutiny increases.
Scaling and complexity
Operating model redesign, accountability structures and board reporting fit for a more complex, multi-product or multi-market business.
Supervisory engagement
Preparation for and response to regulatory reviews, s.166 skilled person exercises and supervisory feedback — including practical remediation.
Typical Fintech Governance and Control Challenges
- —Founder-led governance that has not scaled with regulatory expectations or institutional investor scrutiny
- —Control gaps in payments, e-money or digital banking models — particularly around safeguarding, reconciliations and customer money
- —Weak ownership of compliance, risk and operations responsibilities, with accountability concentrated in too few people
- —Operational resilience and third-party risk gaps — important business services, impact tolerances and supplier oversight that are not yet evidenced
- —Board and committee reporting that is not aligned to risk appetite or to the level of scrutiny supervisors and partners now expect
Who this is for
- —FCA-authorised firms strengthening governance, risk and control arrangements
- —Payment institutions managing safeguarding, conduct and operational resilience
- —E-money institutions scaling under PSD2 and EMD2 obligations
- —Fintech founders preparing for FCA authorisation or licence variation
- —Banks and regulated financial institutions refreshing board and committee oversight
- —Investors reviewing regulated propositions during diligence or post-investment
- —Firms responding to supervisory feedback, s.166 reviews or remediation programmes
Practical use cases
- —Pre-authorisation governance and control readiness for new FCA, PI or EMI applications
- —Fintech scaling after funding — embedding risk appetite, controls and board reporting at pace
- —Payments or e-money safeguarding control review and remediation
- —Board and committee reporting design for regulated growth and supervisory engagement
- —s.166 skilled person review preparation, response and remediation support
- —Operational resilience governance — important business services, impact tolerances and oversight
Common client challenges
- —Operating models that have not kept pace with product, regulatory or scale changes
- —Fintech propositions launched ahead of the underlying governance and control foundations
- —Risk and compliance arrangements that feel reactive rather than embedded
- —Limited internal capacity to translate regulatory expectations into operational reality
- —Boards seeking independent perspective on banking, payments or platform business risks
Typical advisory questions
Are our governance and control foundations ready for the next stage of growth?
How well are regulatory expectations translated into day-to-day operations?
Where do product, technology and operations create concentrated regulatory risk?
Is our risk and compliance posture proactive — or predominantly reactive?
Does the board have the right view of regulated risk across the business?
How DisInnova helps
- —Independent review of fintech governance and control readiness in regulated context
- —Financial services operating model review with attention to accountability and customer outcomes
- —Risk and control framework design for growing fintechs and financial services firms
- —Regulatory expectation mapping into policies, processes and day-to-day controls
- —Product and process control advisory across banking, payments, lending and platform models
- —Board and committee reporting for regulated environments
- —Practical remediation of governance, risk or control weaknesses
- —Senior sounding-board support for executives and founders in financial services and fintech
Typical outputs
- —Diagnostic of governance, risk and control posture in a regulated context
- —Fintech governance and control readiness assessment
- —Operating model and accountability map
- —Risk and control framework aligned to scale and regulatory expectations
- —Regulatory expectation translation documents
- —Board and executive briefing material
Suitable for
- —Boards and executive teams of banks and financial institutions
- —Founders and senior leaders of fintech and payments businesses
- —Chief Risk, Compliance and Operations Officers in regulated firms
- —Investors seeking independent perspective on regulated businesses
Engagement formats
Fintech governance diagnostic
An independent read on governance, risk and control foundations for a fintech, payments or e-money business — proportionate to stage, product and regulatory perimeter.
Regulatory readiness review
A focused review of governance, controls and accountability ahead of authorisation, licence variation, supervisory engagement or a s.166 skilled person review.
Controls and operating model assessment
An assessment of operating model, accountability and control design across payments, e-money, lending or platform models — with a practical remediation roadmap.
Board or founder workshop on fintech scaling risks
A confidential, senior-led session for boards, founders or executive teams on the governance, risk and control decisions that shape regulated growth.
Related insights
Fintech Governance: Controls Before Scale
Read: Fintech Governance: Controls Before Scale FintechFintech: What to Consider Before Launch
Read: Fintech: What to Consider Before Launch GovernanceCommon GRC Weaknesses in Growth Firms
Read: Common GRC Weaknesses in Growth Firms TransformationWhy Governance Matters in Digital Change
Read: Why Governance Matters in Digital ChangeFrequently asked questions
Do you provide regulated services or hold permissions?+
DisInnova is an advisory firm and does not hold regulatory permissions. We support clients on governance, risk, control and operating model topics — not regulated activities themselves.
Do you work with early-stage fintechs?+
Yes — typically with founders preparing to scale, raise or engage with regulators, where governance and control foundations need to be put in place.
Can you support investor or board diligence?+
We provide independent, senior perspective for boards and investors on governance, risk and operating posture in regulated businesses.
What is a s.166 skilled person review?+
A s.166 review is commissioned by the FCA under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. It requires the firm to appoint a skilled person to produce an independent report on specific aspects of the business. DisInnova supports firms in preparing for, responding to and remediating findings from s.166 reviews.
When does a fintech need a formal governance framework?+
In practice, as early as possible — and certainly before applying for authorisation or raising institutional investment. Regulators, investors and partners expect to see governance, risk and control foundations proportionate to the firm's activities, even at an early stage. Retrofitting governance after scaling is significantly harder and more disruptive.
Do you advise on payments and e-money businesses specifically?+
Yes. Advisory experience includes payments institutions, e-money institutions and firms operating under PSD2 and EMD2 — covering governance, safeguarding, operational resilience and control frameworks specific to the payments and e-money sector.
Discuss this advisory priority
A confidential conversation is the best way to scope the right level of support.
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