Not What I Expected

In this episode of Not What I Expected , Liam Chennells sits down with James Mirfin, who leads Visa’s global risk and identity solutions business. From managing unloved customer portfolios in London to running billion-dollar teams in Asia and New York, James’ story is packed with insight, ambition, and real-world lessons in leadership. He shares how a two-year relocation turned into 15 years abroa...

Season 2 of Not What I Expected brought us inside boardrooms, across borders, and into the minds of some of the most dynamic voices in payments, risk, and onboarding. In this highlights episode, host Liam Chennells revisits the turning points, unexpected truths, and most powerful insights from the guests who defined the season — from career pivots and leadership lessons to mindset shifts and momen...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam Chennells sits down with Scott Newby, Chief Compliance Officer and MLRO at Shieldpay. Scott takes us on a candid journey from hotel management and rugby dreams to leading compliance and fraud teams in banking and FinTech. He shares real-world lessons from high-risk roles, managing fraud, and rebuilding after a major FinTech collapse. With stories about...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam Chennells is joined by Conrad Lennard, who leads business development for security solutions across the UK and Ireland at Mastercard. From tearing his ACL at Lord’s to studying geography at Durham, attending Stanford, and navigating a pivot from insurance to AI fraud detection, Conrad’s journey is full of unexpected turns. He shares insights on collecti...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam Chennells chats with Aravind Narayan, leader in digital identity and fraud prevention at the London Stock Exchange Group. From his academic beginnings in India to navigating corporate life at Tata, PwC, and Amazon, Aravind’s journey is a masterclass in resilience and growth. Don’t miss this fascinating deep dive into identity, innovation, and leadership...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, host Liam Chennells sits down with Anil Toraty, Senior Director for Risk Business Partners and Strategy at Visa. From entrepreneurial school days to navigating corporate red tape, Anil’s journey has been anything but linear. He candidly shares the highs and lows of his career, from battling mental health challenges to finding his groove at Visa. Discover how...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, host Liam Chennells chats with Jeremy Nicholds, the CEO of Judopay and former leader at Visa and MasterCard. Jeremy dives into his journey through the payments industry, from leading the Apple Pay revolution at Visa in Europe to driving some of the most well known brand partnerships in the industry. Learn about the innovations that drove the transformation o...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam Chennells chats with Laura Birch, the Head of Enabler Partnerships, Europe at Visa. Laura delves into her fascinating journey from the world of retail to shaping the payments ecosystem at Visa. With dreams of working in Media shifting into time on the shop floor at Jack Wills, Laura soon found herself in an industry-defining payments team at global fash...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam sits down with Neville Lacey, Group MLRO at Equals Money, to explore the intricate world of financial crime prevention. With a wealth of experience in AML and compliance, Neville shares his journey from the early days of his career to his current role, where he leads efforts to safeguard financial systems against ever-evolving threats. Discover how inno...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam Chennells sits down with Alpesh Manji, a leader in global transformation and payments. Alpesh shares his journey from working at Visa to his current role at Barclaycard, providing insights into the complexities of the payments industry. Discover how Alpesh navigated challenges at TikTok, embraced consulting, and constantly pushed for innovation. This ep...

In this first episode of Season 2 of Not What I Expected, host Liam Chennells sits down with Alex Pillow, a key player in the RegTech industry. Alex shares his unique journey from rugby fields to strategic roles at Moody's, offering a fresh perspective on the evolving landscape of compliance and third-party risk. Discover how Alex navigates the complexities of his role, the lessons learned alo...

Join us for a special episode of Not What I Expected where we revisit the best moments from our first nine guests. This compilation features early career highlights and insightful industry predictions from leaders and innovators across various fields. Perfect for anyone looking to gain valuable insights into career development and future industry trends. Don't miss out on this special compilat...

This week, Liam sits down with Jonathan Underwood, a seasoned tech executive known for his strategic and global approach to software platform delivery. Dive into Jonathan’s journey from his early passion for computing to leading major projects for global giants like Google, Cisco, and major financial institutions. Discover the challenges and triumphs of managing internationally distributed teams a...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam sits down with the man who's shaking up the fintech world, Rob Lincolne . He’s a visionary making waves across the payments landscape with Paydock , your go-to global payments orchestration platform. Dive deep with us as Rob shares tales from his diverse and creative schooling days to frontline experiences that changed his life, and how a township i...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam delves into the world of identity, technology, and fraud with Gus Tomlinson, Chief Product Officer for Global Identity and Fraud at GBG. Gus shares the journey from her early days in a rural school through to university. Discover the twists and turns of her career, from post-university explorations to her scariest interview moment that set her on a path...

In this episode of "Not What I Expected," Liam delves into the life of Emma Lindley MBE, a figurehead in identity, data, and privacy. Emma opens up about her rebellious streak and how she transformed the uncertainty that created into a catalytic force driving her towards monumental achievements in the identity sector. Emma takes us on a journey from her early career challenges to the com...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam delves into the multifaceted career of Pratap Gautam , a visionary in payments and financial services technology. Despite his academic success in an array of fields from anthropology to astrophysics, Pratap shares the cultural challenges of discussing emotional well-being in an Asian household and the paramount importance of communication in any endeavo...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, Liam Chennells is joined by Lisa Scott , former CEO at Banked, a global real-time account-to-account payments infrastructure company. For three years, Lisa has witnessed the growth of Banked, from a tight-knit team of 40 to a thriving community of 130 employees. Hear about the challenges of meeting constant financial targets, the importance of celebrating sm...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, host Liam Chennells sits down with Luke Trayfoot , Chief Revenue Officer at Mangopay . Dive into Luke's journey, from his early years and transformative experiences in Africa to his deep dive into sociology and contract law. Discover how these diverse experiences fueled his passion for fintech and led him to redefine sales strategies in the financial tec...

Join us in the latest episode of the Not What I Expected podcast as we welcome Harshna Cayley , Managing Director at Barclays, for an insightful discussion. Harshna shares her remarkable journey starting as a coder to embracing leadership roles across organisations such as United Biscuits, Visa, the International Airline Group, WorldPay, and now at Barclays. During our conversation, Harshna discus...

In this episode of Not What I Expected, join Liam Chennells as he sits down with Jeff Parker , the visionary CEO of Paymentology. From early ambitions in sports to becoming a global leader in fintech, Jeff shares the pivotal moments of his journey across continents. Discover how hard work, seizing opportunities, and a drive to make an impact led Jeff to the forefront of financial services. Delve i...

Hosted by Liam Chennells, Not What I Expected is the only destination for those ready to broaden their understanding of payments, business onboarding and key people in the industry. Let Liam, with his engaging style, take you on a very human journey beyond the buzzwords, unravelling complexities and opportunities in the sector. In each episode, candid personal conversations with the industry's...