Source: University of Auckland (UoA)
A panel of academic and industry experts will explore how finance can be harnessed for good at Trust in Finance and the Rise of Fintech, an event hosted by University of Auckland research centre Juncture: Dialogues on Inclusive Capitalism at the Business School on Thursday, 22 May.
Attendees will hear a range of perspectives from five panellists on topics including socially responsible investing, cybersecurity, digital inclusion, trust in finance, and the role of regulation in building fairer financial systems.
Fintech, or financial technology, includes everything from cryptocurrencies and retail investing apps to peer-to-peer lending and open banking. While these innovations promise greater access and efficiency, they also raise concerns around bias, exclusion and data privacy.
Panellist Dr Chanelle Duley, a lecturer in economics at the University of Auckland Business School, says cybersecurity and data governance are central to financial trust.
“For the benefits of innovations in finance, including open banking, retail investing, and decentralised finance to be fully harnessed, fintech platforms need to invest heavily in cybersecurity infrastructure.”
Also on the panel is the co-CEO of Tax Traders, Becki Butler. She says inclusive finance isn’t about building one-size-fits-all products; “it’s about flexible, culturally aware, human-centred design that meets people where they are”.
“True inclusion means designing alongside communities, not for them. If we simply digitise the same rules, assumptions and risk models that have historically excluded people, we’ll only replicate those failures at speed and scale.”
Professor Raghavendra Rau, Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Professor of Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School says harnessing finance for good can come with complications.
“Sometimes, the people or communities receiving money today may never be in a position to pay it back, often due to structural issues like persistent poverty, inequality, or systemic barriers to economic advancement.
“Additionally, in certain situations, providing funds today might serve as a way to correct past injustices, such as colonial expropriation, where wealth was systematically removed from particular communities. Here, the financial relationship might be less about traditional lending expecting repayment, and more about restorative or reparative finance, acknowledging and addressing historical wrongs.”
If these structural issues are tackled carefully, such as through investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, or supporting entrepreneurship in marginalised communities, Rau says there can be significant long-term benefits.
The panel discussion, facilitated by associate director strategic engagement for Juncture: Dialogues on Inclusive Capitalism, Dr Drew Franklin, also includes Christopher Swasbrook, founder of Elevation Capital and current board member of the Financial Markets Authority, and Decio Nascimento, founder and chief investment officer of Norbury Partners.
Christopher and Decio bring global market insight and hands-on investment experience to the discussion, which will span innovation, inclusion, and regulatory responsibility in shaping the future of finance.