Anthemis Group is pleased to welcome AlphaCard, Credit Suisse, Suncorp and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) as lead sponsors and partners of the inaugural class of the Anthemis Fellowship, for which three Fellows from Europe and North America have been chosen, who will spend a year-long programme working with Anthemis, startups and incumbent financial services firms to develop a thesis project focused on disruption and innovation in the industry.
The Anthemis Fellowship was launched with the aim of nurturing and developing a growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs, executives and thought leaders who are passionate about building an improved financial services industry fit for the digital age. "We've got four partners who believe in our mission and three superb Fellows. We plan to give them the most diverse experience within financial services, which no business school can come close to, and equip them with the skills and experience to become future leaders and innovators", said Sean Park, founder, Anthemis Group. He added, "Our vision is for the Fellows to use this time and experience to broaden their horizons and to act as a springboard allowing them to flourish in their future careers."
"Credit Suisse is passionate about being at the forefront of the transformative change enabled by digital systems and models. The Fellowship initiative from Anthemis is unique in its focus on manufacturing the digital talent that will be so critical to this innovation, and we're very excited to be part of this initiative", said Sarah Wilkinson, Managing Director, Credit Suisse. "We are proud to be associated with the Fellowship, it provides a refreshing, innovative approach to identifying, developing and nurturing exceptional talent. It shifts the paradigm, placing the true focus on the individual and finally placing the core attributes and talents of the fellows ahead of the pure, historic, experience", added Michael Jordan, CEO, Alpha Card.
Beginning on the 1st of September, each Fellowship will be customised to suit the individual, focusing on helping them define and complete a thesis project in their specific area of interest. Over the course of the year-long programme, the Fellows will spend time with Anthemis Group, an Anthemis Group portfolio company and a leading incumbent financial firm. The choice of the appropriate startup and incumbent firms will made in the context of the Fellow's thesis project, skills and interests. Each Fellow will spend four months embedded within an organisation, providing immediate value and working on real-world problems and opportunities in the context of their Fellowship thesis.
The Fellowship is a not-for-profit programme and all sponsorship funds will be used to finance the launch and future development of the programme.