James Alexander Keynote Speaker

James Alexander MBE is a leading voice in fintech and sustainable innovation, best known as the co-founder of Zopa, the world’s first peer-to-peer lending platform. He catalyzed a £100 billion global sector, demonstrating how technology can democratize finance and deliver fairer value for customers.

Serving as Zopa’s UK CEO from 2005 to 2007 and remaining on its board until 2009, Alexander scaled the marketplace model that later inspired digital disruptors such as Airbnb and Funding Circle. His leadership proved that bold, user-centered design can upend entrenched industries while maintaining rigorous risk controls and trust.

Today, he directs Future Agenda, the world’s largest open foresight programme, advising organisations from Amazon and BP to WWF and Which? on strategy, innovation, and the future of data. He also chairs Finance Earth, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, and Agricarbon, using inventive financial mechanisms to restore nature and accelerate climate-positive growth. In 2019, he co-created #VoiceForThePlanet at the World Economic Forum, rallying citizens and CEOs behind a nature-positive economy.

King Charles III recognised Alexander’s impact with an MBE in 2023 for outstanding volunteer services to the natural environment. On stage, he blends founder stories with strategic foresight to equip leaders with practical tools for disruptive innovation, purpose-driven growth, and green finance—leaving audiences ready to challenge orthodoxies, unlock new markets, and align profit with planet.