In Check with Fintech

Founding a fintech isn’t just about product-market fit, it’s about resilience, timing, and making brutal calls when the stakes are high.

In this episode of In Check with Fintech, host Rogier Rouppe van der Voort sits down with Thomas Vles, Founder of GoDutch, to unpack the emotional and strategic reality of startup life — from raising funding to walking away from a near-exit.

Key topics covered: 🧗 Startup Setbacks & Survival ...

What if the work ethic that built one of Europe’s fastest-growing fintechs could unlock an even bigger opportunity? In this episode of In Check with Fintech, host Rogier Rouppe van der Voort sits down with Jordan Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder at Damisa and former CGO and Co-Founder of Volt, to explore the real playbook behind scaling, surviving hypergrowth, and why he’s betting on a bold new frontier.

Key topics covered: 📈 Lesson...

What does it take to move from a risk-focused career to the CEO seat at one of the UK’s most influential fintechs? And why is having a female CEO in fintech still seen as “unusual” in 2025?

In this episode of In Check with Fintech, Emma Hagan, CEO at ClearBank, joins Rogier for a wide-ranging conversation that goes beyond her impressive career. From leading innovation in embedded banking and digital assets to advocating for inclusi...

Scaling a fintech to 50M+ users isn’t just about speed—it’s about security, agility, and building IT infrastructure that won’t crack under pressure. In this episode of In Check with Fintech, host Rogier Rouppe van der Voort sits down with Felipe Peñacoba Martinez, CIO at Revolut Bank, to unpack how modular IT, AI-driven automation, and compliance-first strategies are shaping the future of fintech.

Key topics covered: 🤖 The AI Adv...

The Digital Euro and Wero are being positioned as the future of European payments - but will consumers and businesses actually adopt them?

In this episode of In Check with Fintech, Clement Jozwiak, Chief Product Officer at Worldline, joins Rogier, our host and CEO at PCN, to discuss whether new payment schemes are solving real problems or just adding complexity to an already crowded payments landscape.

With years of experience in i...

At just 19 years old, Max Linden founded lemon.markets with a bold vision: to make capital markets truly accessible to everyone. In this episode of In Check with FinTech, we dive into Max's inspiring journey from a teenage entrepreneur to the CEO of a thriving FinTech company that has raised €28 million in funding from investors like Lakestar, Creandum, and Lightspeed.

Discover how Lemon.markets is disrupting the investment landsca...

What role will AI play in shaping the future of banking?

In this episode of In Check with Fintech, PCN CEO and podcast host Rogier Rouppe van der Voort sits down with Bahadir Yilmaz, Chief Analytics Officer at ING, to explore the transformative power of AI in financial services. Together, they explore the transformative potential of AI in financial services and its impact on banking, payments, and customer experiences.

Key topics i...

What does 2025 hold for fintech recruitment?

In this episode of In Check with Fintech, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort is joined by Shanone Kurca-Lopes, Senior Recruitment Consultant at PCN, and Calum Peacock, Director of PCN Projects, to explore the key trends shaping the year ahead.

They dive into:

•  How AI in fintech recruitment is revolutionizing the hiring process.
• The challenges of finding talent for specialized roles in paym...

What went wrong, what we learned, and what’s next?

In this reflective episode of In Check with Fintech, Rogier sits down with two of PCN’s top recruiters, Nathan Southerton & Kevin Daul, to break down the key challenges, trends, and lessons from 2024’s fintech and fintech hiring landscapes.

This year brought a perfect storm: slower hiring processes, skills gaps, layoffs, and shifting talent demands, leaving recruiters and found...

Can Europe create a unified solution to cross-border payments?

In this episode, Christian Pirkner, CEO of Bluecode, unpacks his ambitious vision for 'payment roaming,' a system designed to eliminate barriers in the fragmented European payments landscape. By leveraging partnerships and existing infrastructure, Bluecode aims to simplify payments across borders and redefine how we transact globally.

You can also watch the episode on Y...

Is Europe losing its place in the global fintech race? In this eye-opening episode, Christian Pirkner, CEO of Bluecode, discusses the pressing challenges facing the payment industry and what it takes to create smarter, more secure payment experiences.

PCN CEO and podcast host, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort, and Christian Pirkner dive into:

• Why the systems we trust might be holding us back.
• How Bluecode is simplifying rewards and...

What does the future of payments look like at Mastercard? In this episode, Jan-Willem van der Schoot, Country Manager Netherlands at Mastercard, provides a closer look at Mastercard’s approach to innovation, from AI-driven solutions to advancing digital payments on a global scale.

In conversation with our CEO, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort, Jan-Willem discusses his journey in the payments industry, Mastercard’s focus on data security...

How is Visa driving innovation in the payments industry through AI and technology? In this episode, Jos van de Kerkhof, Country Manager Netherlands at Visa, discusses the changing landscape of payments and Visa’s role in shaping its future.

Our CEO, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort, sits down with Jos to explore his journey in the payments industry, Visa's approach to innovation, and the impact of AI on payments. They also discuss how V...

How is open banking revolutionising our financial landscape? Find out in this enlightening episode with Stefano Vaccino, Founder and CEO of Yapily, an infrastructure platform addressing a fundamental problem in financial services today: access.

In this episode, our CEO, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort, has the pleasure of speaking with Stefano Vaccino, who shares his unique journey from acade...

We’re celebrating 150 episodes of In Check with Fintech! 🎉

To mark this milestone, we’ve turned the tables this week by placing our host and PCN CEO, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort, in the guest seat with Ivan McConville stepping in as the host!

From early inspirations and industry challenges to balancing family life and leadership, this episode dives deep into...

What makes Berlin so special for entrepreneurs? Find out in this episode with Malte Rau from Pliant.

In this special episode of In Check with Fintech recorded live at FIBE 2024 in Berlin, our CEO, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort, has the pleasure of hosting Malte Rau, Co-Founder and CEO at Pliant.

Throughout the conversation, they discuss Pliant’s recent funding ...

How has the Fintech space evolved in the past years and what does the future look like for the market? Learn more about these in this episode of In Check with Fintech with Brian Lawlor from B4B Payments.

This week, our CEO, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort, has the pleasure of joining Brian Lawlor, Group Chief Commercial Officer at B4B Payments, at their picturesque London office for an exciti...

What challenges does the banking industry face when it comes to implementing AI technologies? Find out in this episode, as Alexander Zwart from Rabobank shares his expertise and firsthand experiences implementing AI solutions within the banking space.

This week, our CEO, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort, has the honour of hosting Alexander Zwart, Chief Innovation & Technology Officer at Ra...

How is GenAI transforming the banking space? Find out in this episode, as Edwin van Bommel from ABN AMRO offers insights into the evolving role of AI in shaping our financial future.

This week, our CEO, Rogier Rouppe van der Voort, has the honour of hosting Edwin van Bommel, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at ABN AMRO on In Check with Fintech.

During ...