Interview with Ricky Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of sync
What’s your title + what do you do?
Ricky Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of sync.
I lead a team of 33 people at sync., including developers, designers, analysts and more. I remain heavily involved in everything we do, particularly on the design side as my background is as a product designer.
What company do you work for & what does it do (if not known)?
sync. is an innovative money app that launched in summer 2020. It provides a simple and secure way to manage your finances by giving you complete control of your financial life in one app, in one place, as one experience.
The app allows you to open a GBP and EUR current account; link all of your financial accounts (such as bank accounts, credit cards, loans and mortgages); transfer money worldwide at competitive rates; get your own sync. card, which can be used in millions of locations around the world; and use online cards for virtual purchases.
Find out more at www.sync.money or download the app for iPhone, Android or Huawei.
What area of Fintech is the company or your role in?
Challenger banks
How many years of experience do you have within the Fintech space?
I have more than 20 years of experience conceiving, designing, and producing consumer products in a wide range of sectors. In the financial sector, I designed and architected apps and products from beginning to end, including the redesign of Lloyds Banking Group and the original design of Revolut.
How did you get into Fintech and/or this role?
In early 2011, I joined a B2B company offering BaaS to the big Banks of UK. Shortly after, I joined Lloyds Bank to see the transition through to separate them from TSB Bank, leading the full product team to design and develop the best banking app in the industry. I then had the opportunity to be part of the initial founding team at Revolut. We created an incredible product, which sparked a lot of other ideas in me. These ideas eventually went on to become sync.
How has your experience, education or network helped you in Fintech?
Building a network of great people you can trust is essential in Fintech, and when starting any business. Constantly attend networking events in your industry and surround yourself with visionaries and smart people that understand technology. Contacts can open so many doors for you, from new investors to partners. Conversations in-person, on the phone, or online can bring so many opportunities, even if you didn’t originally see how that new contact could be beneficial.
What advice would you give someone looking to build a career within the Fintech space?
Fintech is such an exciting industry at the moment as it is continuing to move so quickly, and yet there is still so much innovation yet to come. Fintech encompasses so many problem-solving companies in different activities such as payments, challenger banks, remittance, wealth management, RegTech, InsurTech, PropTech, blockchain for financial services, personal finance management, Buy Now Pay Later…
I’d recommend finding out which part of Fintech interests you the most. Then join a company that you admire because it stands for a cause you support and take in as much information as you can. Find what inspires you and follow that passion to see where it leads. Time will only tell.
