Episode 28

Guest Interview Highlights Nic Vrillaud (Head of Partnerships at Mettle Nat West)

Published on: 13th October, 2021

Episode 28. On today's episode, Rob Brown of the Accountants Influencers Podcast interviews Nic Vrillaud of challenger bank Mettle on how they are filling the gap for small business banking.

Nicolas Vrillaud leads Business Development & Partnerships at the challenger bank Mettle, with a focus on growing distribution via accountants. After 10+ years in consulting and banking, he has spent the last 5 years helping NatWest, one of the largest UK banks, adapt to the technological disruptions of the financial services industry.

At Mettle, Nic works very closely with external partners as well as the product team to shape the product roadmap and continue delivering value-adding features to customers and accountants.

Outside work, he enjoys reading about tech/innovation, investing in promising tech companies and spending time with his 3-year-old daughter.

Key shownotes from the whole interview include:

➩ How the Mettle challenger bank fits into the wider Nat West business proposition

➩ Defining what a challenger bank is and does in the business sector

➩ The advantages for small businesses of working with non-traditional challenger banks

➩ The role of mobile technology, user experience and simplicity in challenger bank wallets

➩ How challenger banks are an international phenomenon, eg neo-banks in France

➩ The perfect storm of technology and lower regulation birth financial services companies

➩ The 2 factors that dictate whether a bank will be successful with business customers

➩ How an association with an established, trusted parent bank helps build a challenger brand

➩ An overview of the competitive landscape in the challenger bank space

➩ Why business customers have become unhappy with traditional high street banks

➩ What has changed in the business banking sector during the Covid pandemic

➩ Two reasons why so many new businesses have been created in the last 2 years

➩ How the younger entrepreneurs are shifting how banks and vendors operate

➩ Findings from Mettle research with YouGov about where people derive income from

➩ What contributes £125bn to the UK's GDP and why it presents opportunities

➩ Why it's critical that business banking is more integrated with cloud software

➩ How Mettle works with strategic fintech and software partners like Free Agent

➩ The benefits for accounting firms of working in partnership with Mettle

➩ The role accountants play in their partnerships with banks and how it serves their clients

➩ Shoutout to Free Agent, a loyal commercial partner of the Accounting Influencers Podcast

➩ The future of the fintech sector, especially challenger banks and their relationship with accountants

Nic Vrillaud on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolasvrillaud

Mettle website: https://www.mettle.co.uk

NOTE TO LISTENERS:

This is a condensed highlights version of the full interview (usually 20-30 mins long), which you can catch as a bonus episode at the weekend.

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About the Podcast

Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.
Accounting Voices, hosted by Rob Brown, helps decision makers and leaders in accounting and finance stay relevant, visible and vocal in a profession being reshaped by technology, private equity, regulation and shifting client expectations. Each episode interprets the trends disrupting accounting and finance such as AI, automation, M&A, talent and the move to advisory and translates them into practical insight that strengthens authority and influence.
Accounting Voices is also a platform for the wider ecosystem of networks, associations, educators, consultants, software vendors and technology experts who serve accountants and finance professionals worldwide. It extends into regular Accounting Voices networking sessions that connect this audience and amplify ideas that move the profession forward. With its international reach and long shelf life the show delivers credibility and commercial value for listeners and sponsors alike. Search for "Accounting Voices" on YouTube for all episodes and connect with Rob Brown on LinkedIn to find out more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

About your host

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Rob Brown

ob Brown is the creator and host of the Accounting Voices Network, a media platform that includes the flagship solo podcast Accounting Voices and the panel shows Accounting M&A and Accounting Tech. He chairs conferences, panels and virtual events worldwide and is recognised as a leading advocate for the accounting profession.

He is an accomplished speaker and authority on trust, reputation, employer brand, talent, succession, executive presence and the forces shaping the future of accounting. Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TEDx talk The Personal Brand of You has been viewed more than 400,000 times.

A former co-founder of the Accounting Influencers Roundtable, Rob now focuses on amplifying the voices of leaders, firms, networks, vendors and influencers across the global accounting ecosystem.

Outside of work he is a stroke survivor, lives with epilepsy, holds a black belt in kickboxing and is based in Nottingham, UK. He plays chess and backgammon, loves orange chocolate and is allergic to grapefruit.