Getting to Know: Binu Paul

Who are you and what do you do?

I have spent the last four years building and growing SavvyKiwi, a fintech product for KiwiSavers and the first of its kind in New Zealand. The initial two years of my startup journey were pretty intense through the product development phase. Over the last year or so, I have taken on a few other initiatives like helping financial advisory firms with fund manager due diligence reports and consulting part-time to the FMA. Also, since last year, I have been designing and convening Finnotec, New Zealand's first dedicated fintech conference series with the aim to bring together the financial services and technology communities in New Zealand. I've been watching the relentless impact of technology on other industries and I haven't seen any compelling argument to say it won't be the same with the financial services industry. It's a really exciting space to be in, and you don't want to be caught napping.

How did you get into the industry?

After attaining an engineering degree, I had the option of pursuing a masters program in technology, but then with some corporate experience under my belt, I decided I was more passionate about wider business issues. So, I quit a day job to spend a couple of years at business school to earn an MBA. Business school is where I picked up an interest in financial markets - primarily what fascinates me about it is its ever-changing nature. I came to New Zealand in the late 90s and since then has been in investment management and related fields including back/middle office, portfolio management and accounting, asset allocation. investment research, fund manager diligence, technology etc. across both institutional and retail segments.