Phonovation named overall winner at Deloitte Financial Services Innovation Awards

Gulru Atak is awarded the leadership prize at ceremony designed to recognise industry innovation

Donal Lehane, partner and head of financial services at Deloitte (left) presents the Deloitte Financial Services Innovation Leadership Award to Gulru Atak, head of innovation in Citi’s Institutional Clients Group and the Overall Winner Award to Gavin Carpenter, chief executive of Phonovation. Photograph: Jason Clarke
Donal Lehane, partner and head of financial services at Deloitte (left) presents the Deloitte Financial Services Innovation Leadership Award to Gulru Atak, head of innovation in Citi’s Institutional Clients Group and the Overall Winner Award to Gavin Carpenter, chief executive of Phonovation. Photograph: Jason Clarke

Phonovation has been named as the overall winner of this year’s Deloitte Financial Services Innovation Awards.

The Dublin-based communications tools company, which provides secure messaging and mobile identity services to business in Ireland and Britain, took the main prize in the third year of awards designed to recognise industry innovation.

The awards are run in partnership with the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) and Financial Services Ireland (FSI).

“Businesses should take pride in the resilience and innovation they have shown over the last few years, and as they look forward to new challenges, innovation will be central to adapting product lines and maximising customer experience and engagement,” said Deloitte Ireland head of financial services Donal Lehane.

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“The companies both shortlisted and awarded this year showcase the breadth of innovation happening across the financial services sector in Ireland.”

Phonovation was also named the winner in the category of most disruptive fintech after its Mobile ID service impressed judges.

Gulru Atak, who is head of innovation in Citi’s institutional clients group, won the leadership award, which is given in recognition of financial services industry pioneers. Within her role at Citi, Ms Atak explores opportunities for growth through new business models and emerging technologies and partnerships.

Xtract won the most innovative insurtech category, Enterpryze took the prize for most innovative digital platform, Corlytics won most innovative regtech and Naomh Breandáin Credit Union won the social or sustainable innovation award.

The judging panel comprised Michael Concannon, who is head of strategy for fintech and payments at the BPFI, Audrey Crummy, who is the FSI’s deputy director, The Irish Times business editor Ciarán Hancock, Mastercard chief innovation officer Ken Moore and Deloitte partner David Dalton.

Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery is an Irish Times journalist writing about media, advertising and other business topics