Wojtek Buczynski

Tell us your story:

"My adventure with FinTech started on a graduate scheme at Bloomberg many moons ago. Bloomberg was my first “white collar” employer. It was also diverse and inclusive to a fault – and very genuine at that. I assumed that was normal, and I had a very, very rude awakening upon my first job change and quite a few since...

My adventure in FinTech took me from Bloomberg to Northern Trust, to Fidelity, to KPMG and, most recently, EY, where I led the AI Practice within Wealth and Asset Management Technology Consulting team.

However, for various reasons (being queer, mentally ill and neurodivergent being chief among them) I decided that corporate employment is not for me and I launched my FinTech startup FastAudit AI (https://fastaudit.ai) which has just come out of stealth. I hope to make it the most radically inclusive workplace possible – one I didn’t get to experience very often myself.

In parallel with my full-time entrepreneurship I am also a PhD student researching AI in financial services at the University of Cambridge. I previously graduated from London Business School with a Master’s in Finance.

My academic research and thought leadership has explored the use of AI in investment decision-making as well as AI regulations in financial services; it has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals as well as popular outlets such as The Conversation. I am currently researching emerging themes in AI regulation in investment management.

Throughout my entire corporate career I had been an LGBTQ+ and mental health advocate (as well as mental health first aider). I occasionally wonder whether it impacted my career in any way. I somehow feel that it had, and not necessarily beneficially. Still, to quote Madonna, I have “absolutely no regrets”."

Impact:

"I have been a very vocal LGBTQ+ ambassador throughout my entire career. I was also very open and vocal about my mental health struggles, which are, unfortunately, so common in our community. I represented and presented at various LGBTQ+ professional events and now I am a part of the LGBTQ+ founders network. I hope that my startup becomes a shining example of truly radical diversity and inclusion."

Advice:

"Smash the pink ceiling! It sadly does exist in many organisations, but together we can and we will smash it to bits."