Why We've Strengthened Our Fintech Offering (And Why It Matters for Payment Firms

Today we're announcing that Lorraine Mouat has joined Adempi as Partner, leading our payment services and e-money practice. This isn't just a new hire announcement. It's a response to what we're seeing in the market, and a signal of our commitment to supporting payment firms through an increasingly demanding regulatory landscape.

The payments landscape is shifting

If you work in or around the payments sector, you'll already know this: the FCA is raising expectations. According to their own data, around one in three payment firm applications are being rejected. Operational resilience requirements are tightening. Safeguarding standards are under scrutiny. And the regulator is asking harder questions about business models, governance and controls.

At the same time, the sector is evolving rapidly. We're seeing more investment firms, consumer credit providers and other businesses incorporating payment services into their operating models. This creates fresh challenges: firms need to understand how the Payment Services Regulations interact with their existing permissions, and they need to adapt quickly without compromising on compliance quality.

Why Lorraine, and why now?

Lorraine brings the kind of experience that can't be taught from a textbook. She's guided numerous firms through FCA authorisation, from early-stage fintechs to listed entities. She's conducted safeguarding assessments, FCA Skilled Person reviews, and built compliance frameworks that work in the real world, not just on paper.

Importantly, Lorraine approaches compliance the way we do at Adempi: it's not about gold-plating or box-ticking. It's about understanding what the regulator expects, understanding what your business needs, and finding the pragmatic path that delivers both.

Her expertise spans compliance frameworks, systems and controls, monitoring, culture and conduct risk. She also holds GDPR Practitioner status, bringing valuable data protection and privacy compliance knowledge that's increasingly important for payment firms handling sensitive customer data.

What this means for payment firms

With Lorraine leading our payments practice, we're strengthening our ability to support firms at every stage:

If you're seeking authorisation, we can help you put your best case forward. This means understanding FCA expectations, anticipating their questions, and ensuring your application demonstrates not just compliance, but capability.

If you're adapting your business model to include payment services, we can guide you through the permissions process and help you build frameworks that integrate smoothly with your existing operations.

If you're an established payment firm navigating new requirements around operational resilience, safeguarding or conduct risk, we provide practical support that's tailored to your specific challenges.

And because Adempi operates a senior-only model, you'll work directly with Lorraine and our other expert consultants. No junior teams. No work being delegated to people who weren't in the room when you explained your challenge. Just experienced professionals who know the sector inside out.

Getting it right matters more than ever

The payments sector is vibrant, innovative and full of opportunity. But it's also a space where firms are making avoidable mistakes. The consequences of getting compliance wrong are significant: rejected applications, regulatory interventions, reputational damage.

The good news? With the right guidance, firms can build sustainable compliance frameworks that enable growth rather than constrain it. That's what we're here to help with.

If you're navigating the payments regime and want to talk through your specific situation, get in touch. We're here to help you get it right.

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We're looking forward to introducing Lorraine to our clients and contacts over the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you'd like to get in touch with her, you can reach her on lorraine@adempi.co.uk