In 2003, Alastair Lukies founded Monetise, seeing the potential of mobile devices in the financial industry as more than just a tool to communicate with, but a way transferring money and other financial management. Monetise went onto being recognised as a ‘Technology Pioneer’ and listed on the LSE’s AIM market.

In January 2014, Alastair was first appointed as a Business Ambassador to the Prime Minister for the financial services industry by the UK Government, and today acts as the sole Business Ambassador for FinTech. He was named Non-Executive Chairman of FinTech industry body, Innovate Finance, at its launch in August 2014. Alastair was awarded a CBE for services to mobile banking and charity in June 2014, and was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2011 Growing Business Awards.

Prior to conceiving, financing and successfully building Monitise, Alastair was a co-founder of epolitix.com, the portal for Westminster, Whitehall and the devolved institutions. Alastair’s deep knowledge of global retail banking, payments and the broader FinTech ecosystem, combined with a unique set of UK government, industry and entrepreneur relations make him well placed to help build and develop The Collective’s presence and momentum in the UK, Europe and internationally.