Beyond Banking: A Business Agility Lead’s journey in the world of Fintech.
Reading Time: 5 Minutes
Think a career in banking is all numbers and corporate suits? Think again. Our latest “Day in the Life” feature is here to bust that myth wide open.
Meet Derek, a Business Agility Lead who proves that the future of finance is anything but boring. While many might assume his job is just about technical tools like JIRA, Derek reveals a much more people-focused reality. His typical day is filled with meetings and interactions; all aimed at helping teams and the entire organisation become more efficient and effective. The most rewarding part of his job is seeing tangible results from his efforts to help other teams improve.
Derek’s career journey is a powerful testament to the value of adapting he started on a graduate scheme to become a Project Manager, then progressed to Programme Manager, before making a significant career pivot into the agile space. This evolution from trainee to Business Agility Lead is a testament to his adaptability. The biggest challenge he faces daily is influencing leaders and colleagues, helping them understand that agility is not just a buzzword – it is a fundamental tool for success in any job.
Derek Jack
Role: Business Agility Lead
Sector: Fintech / Banking / IT & Change
Degree: Applied Computing (UG)
For Derek, the essential skills are communication, relationship building and influencing. But the most unexpected skills he incorporates from his life at university into his day-to-day working is planning and organisation, which was the very foundation of his journey into Project Management. He’s learned that team working is fundamental to success and that the variety in IT and change is what makes it so interesting.
Even though his current role may not be there is the future, Derek is confident that new skills he has acquired will be transferable to other career paths. As for the myth that banking is a boring, corporate world – his organisation is aiming to be the biggest fintech in the UK, a goal that is far from boring.
Read the full story to discover how Derek turned a passion for efficiency into a career of empowering others.
A Day in the Life
What is the biggest difference between what people think your job is and what it is actually like?
A lot of people assume my job is about the technical side of things – like specific software and methodologies. But the reality is, it is much more than that. My role is centred on people. It is about helping teams and the entire organisation become more efficient and effective, and that involved a lot of coaching, collaboration, and understanding how different parts of the business work together.
Can you walk us through a typical day?
My day is full of meetings and interactions with a huge variety of people. I might start with a team to help them understand and implement agile methods, then move to a one-on-one session to provide specific guidance, and later, meet with senior leaders to talk about our organisation strategy. Its all about helping people understand the ‘why’ behind what we do and empowering them to find better ways of working.
Collaborative teamwork in one of our modern meeting spaces
What is the most exciting or rewarding part of your job?
Without a doubt, its helping other teams improve and then seeing the direct results of that work. Theres no greater feeling than seeing a team go from struggling to working smoothly and efficiently. Knowing that I played a small part in that success is incredibly rewarding.
Our open-plan workspace promotes collaboration and flexibility
A dedicated meeting room equipped for hybrid working and video collaboration
The Path to Agility
Tell us about your career journey. How did you get to where you are today?
I started on a graduate scheme to become a Project Manager, and my career evolved from there. I progressed to Programme Manager, and then I made a conscious decision to change direction and work in the agile space. My journey took me from Scrum Master chapter lead to my current role as Business Agility Lead. My greatest achievement has been that evolution – taking the knowledge from each role and using it to propel me forward.
What was a key challenge you had to overcome along the way?
The biggest challenge has been influencing and gaining buy-in from leaders and colleagues. Agility is not a silver bullet and helping people understand that it is a fundamental tool for success in all their jobs requires a lot of trust and relationship building. It is a constant challenge, but a rewarding one.
Is there an unexpected skill you use in your job that you did not think would be relevant?
I have always been a planner and an organiser, and I did not realise how much of a foundational skill that was until I started in project management. It was an unexpected, but vital springboard into my career.
The Big Picture
What essential skills do you think are crucial for your role?
Without a doubt, communication relationship building, and influencing. You cannot drive change without being about to connect with people on a human level.
What is a fun or surprising fact about your industry that most students would not know?
People think of banking as boring and corporate, but my organisation is aiming to be the biggest fintech in the UK. The sheer amount of variety in IT and change is fascinating, and team working is absolutely fundamental to making that happen.
Engaging with industry-leading ideas at Google Cloud Reboot 2025
What tools cannot you live without?
As a remote worker, I would say Outlook and Teams. They are absolutely essential for communicating and organising everything I do.
Looking ahead, how do you see your role or industry changing in the next 5–10 years?
My specific role might not be there in the future, but that is okay. The skills I have learned particularly in leaderships, communication, and adaptability – are highly transferable and will be invaluable no matter where my career takes me.
What Skills are you Developing
Derek’s journey highlights how skills like communication, adaptability and influencing play a vital role in shaping careers in fast-moving environments like fintech and organisational change.
These aren’t skills limited to leadership roles—you’re likely developing them already through your studies, work, or wider experiences.
Reflect on your Experience
- When have you helped a group or team work more effectively or solve a challenge together?
- How have you built relationships or influenced others to see things differently?
- What experiences (e.g. part-time jobs, placements, coursework, projects) have helped you develop organisation or planning skills?
- When have you had to adapt to change or learn something new quickly?
- Which of these skills do you feel most confident in—and which would you like to develop further?