On the shortlist: Mary Agbesanwa

Mary Agbesanwa, Business Development Director at Lloyds Banking Group, has been shortlisted for this year’s Future Leader Award. A rising leader in wealth management, she drives over £4m in annual recurring revenue through strategic fintech and banking partnerships. With a career spanning consulting, fintech and now banking, she brings agility, entrepreneurial thinking and a passion for innovation to the UK’s largest bank. Beyond her commercial achievements, Mary is a committed advocate for inclusion, founding the Now You’re Talking Network to empower thousands of women, supporting fintech diversity initiatives, and holding board roles at Girlguiding UK and Do it Now Now. Her journey reflects a clear vision: using technology to democratise access to financial services while championing equity and fresh perspectives across the industry.

You’ve built an impressive career spanning consulting, fintech, and now wealth management at Lloyds Banking Group. What drew you to financial services in the first place, and what keeps you motivated?

During university, I took a trial and error approach, interning at a range of financial services firms all in order to find what would suit me best. My last internship in my first year of university was in Consulting, and I immediately loved working in a team, the client interaction and the variety within the role.

Through consulting, I learnt all about business transformation across financial services, working with leading banks, insurers and asset managers, not just in London but also travelling and working in Germany and South Africa. Throughout these client projects, one thing was clear to me. Digital disruption was coming!

I started researching Fintech, the use of software and modern technology in Financial services to drive better customer outcomes and improve access and I was excited. It was all about asking, how can we rebuild the financial services industry using the technology available to us now?

“Digital disruption was coming! I started researching fintech… it was all about asking, how can we rebuild the financial services industry using the technology available to us now?”

I was lucky enough to secure a project working with a leading fintech whilst I was still in consulting and that gave me great exposure to the world of fintech and what it meant to build a challenger bank from scratch! Not just jeans and hoodies and table tennis tables in the office, but solving problems to design slick and easy-to-use financial solutions.

I then ran my consultancy’s fintech accelerator. Working with founders and screening hundreds of fintech businesses to select a stellar cohort of 10 b2b fintech start-ups. This improved my network in fintech dramatically and allowed me to showcase my strengths in project management and event curation. I loved it!

Now, Fintech is the UK’s biggest investment sector and a key strategic area for growth post-Brexit. Through Fintech, I’ve found a career and topic that I am passionate about. Where tech is being used to solve real-world problems and democratise access to financial services and products. People, especially the global majority and women haven’t always had this. For example, did you know it was only as recently as 1975 that women were first allowed to have their own bank account?!!

Overall, my experiences have profoundly influenced my approach to my profession. They have instilled in me a deep understanding of the importance of inclusive financial practices and the role of technology in democratising access to financial services for the greater good of society.

“Many of us fall into the trap of waiting until we feel 100% ready, but life and leadership are about feeling the fear and doing it anyway.”

At Lloyds, you lead strategic fintech and banking partnerships worth millions in annual recurring revenue. What do you see as the key to building successful, long-term collaborations at this scale?

The key lies in trust, alignment, and execution. At this scale, both sides need to feel that the partnership is not just transactional, but strategic, that there’s a shared vision for growth. I have focused on building senior-level relationships early, being transparent about what success looks like for both parties, and then doing my best and galvanising others to ensure we deliver consistently on commitments.
Equally important is adaptability. Markets shift, regulation evolves, and priorities change, so strong partnerships require the flexibility to evolve together, not just sign a contract and walk away!

My entrepreneurial and fintech experience has taught me the value of agility and creative problem-solving. In startups, you don’t have endless resources, so you learn to prioritise, test quickly, and adapt. I’ve tried my best to bring that mindset into a major bank, where it’s easy for processes to slow things down. For me, especially as a natural executor, it is about driving innovation, while still respecting the governance and scale that come with a large institution.

You’re passionate about inclusion, from founding the Now You’re Talking Network to supporting women in fintech initiatives. What inspired you to create these initiatives, and what impact have you seen?

The inspiration came from my own lived experience of being a woman of colour navigating financial services. Early in my career, I realised how powerful networks and safe spaces can be for confidence, opportunity, and visibility. I wanted to create that for others, and through the Now You’re Talking network, which now supports over 3,000 women.

From helping women secure promotions and salary negotiations to women starting businesses together, the impact has been incredibly rewarding.

Alongside your career at Lloyds, you hold board positions at Girlguiding UK and Do it Now Now. How do these roles influence the way you think about leadership and inclusion?

I thoroughly enjoy both of these roles, and they constantly remind me of the importance of inclusion and leadership. At Girlguiding, for example, we’re thinking about how to inspire the next generation of girls to see themselves as leaders, no matter their background. At Do it Now Now, it’s about addressing systemic barriers in Black communities. Serving on these boards truly keeps me grounded in community impact.

“Remember that your difference is your strength. Financial services and fintech need fresh perspectives… don’t feel pressure to blend in and instead, lean into what makes your voice unique.”

Finally, what advice would you give to women starting out in financial services today, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, who want to step into leadership?

Back yourself! You don’t need to have everything figured out to take the next step. Many of us fall into the trap of waiting until we feel 100% ready, but life and leadership are about feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

Secondly, build your network intentionally. Find mentors and sponsors who will advocate for you, but also peers who can support and challenge you. Community is everything!

And finally, remember that your difference is your strength. Financial services and fintech need fresh perspectives, whether that’s cultural, generational, or experiential. Don’t feel pressure to blend in and instead, lean into what makes your voice unique.