In this interview we speak with experienced finance leader Patrick Chen. As Strategic Finance Director at Moneybox, Patrick helps shape the company’s growth trajectory, supports cross-functional decision making and engages with investors and stakeholders. Prior to Moneybox, he held key finance and strategy roles at Hopper and Deliveroo, where he worked across corporate development, fraud and payments and long-term planning. Patrick shares his experience transitioning from traditional finance into tech, what to consider when making that move and how to approach finance leadership careers in scale-ups.
Patrick, thanks so much for your time. It would be great if you could give us a quick overview of your career since you left investment banking.
My current role is Strategic Finance Director at Moneybox. That covers everything non‑accounting within the finance team: business partnering, FP&A, commercial finance, investor relations, growth and strategy.
Previously, I was at Hopper, where I initially focused on business partnering before transitioning quite quickly into a single‑threaded ownership role across fraud and B2B payments. That meant leading a cross‑functional team across engineering, data science and operations, covering all aspects of fraud and payments.
Before that, I was at Deliveroo in corporate strategy, leading work across fundraising, long‑term strategy planning, and more operational strategy areas such as merchandising, loyalty and promotions.
Are there particular areas you tend to favour, such as partnering, commercial finance or strategy?
Investor relations is always interesting because you gain insight into how investors think about businesses. You learn a lot from those conversations.
I’m a believer that in any of those areas you can find something interesting. It’s about how you approach the role, and the same applies to industry. Naturally, things like corporate development tend to be intellectually interesting because they’re strategic and not part of the day‑to‑day rhythm of most businesses.
Investor relations is always interesting because you gain insight into how investors think about businesses. You learn a lot from those conversations. Business partnering is equally engaging: getting into the operational detail, helping the business make better decisions and supporting growth.
All of these areas have elements that are interesting and others that are less so. It’s about how you balance them.
You spent roughly four years in investment banking before moving into tech. When did you first start thinking about making that shift, and what sparked it?
It was probably around a year before I moved. There was a bit of push and pull. I had a very good experience in banking and genuinely enjoyed it. I worked with smart, high‑calibre people, took on responsibility early and was well compensated.
But after around four years, though, you start to plateau. There’s often an up‑or‑out dynamic, teams are small and progression can depend on someone above you moving on. I was impatient and wanted something new.
I was working in pharmaceuticals and biotech at the time, which I really enjoyed despite having no science background. It was a steep learning curve and very rewarding. But at some point you naturally start thinking about what’s next.
In banking, are you placed into specific sectors like pharma and biotech. How does that work?
You’re placed where there’s a need. If they had someone with a hard‑science background, they probably would have placed them there. In my case, I studied political science, which isn’t very similar, but you learn statistics and drug development on the job. It’s extremely interesting, and I still take a lot from that experience.
When you started exploring roles in tech, what were the key factors you were looking for, and why were they important?
I approached it in a fairly non‑conventional way. For me, it was more about the capabilities of the company I was joining and how different that environment would be from Morgan Stanley.
I wanted somewhere more nimble and fast‑paced, where I had more agency. If I’m honest, that description could also apply to a buy‑side role at a hedge fund, so I explored both paths.
It came down to where I could find those characteristics, whether in tech or elsewhere. Ultimately, it was the people that made the difference. Meeting the team at Deliveroo was a big factor for me.
When you were interviewing at Deliveroo and other tech companies, were you looking for a specific type of business in terms of size or stage, or was it more people‑driven?
I didn’t have a structured framework for evaluating opportunities. It was very first‑principles: thinking about what I wanted and speaking to people I trusted in the industry.
At that time, and even today, there isn’t much structure to help people moving from finance into tech understand what to look for. You end up scrolling through LinkedIn, which is fairly low conversion.
Where you get better results is through conversations with people, and that’s how I got my foot in the door at Deliveroo. I didn’t have a structured framework for evaluating opportunities. It was very first‑principles: thinking about what I wanted and speaking to people I trusted in the industry.
That lack of structure is why conversations like this are useful, because they help people understand what to look for.
How did you find the transition from a very structured environment into one that’s typically less structured?
I loved it. The overriding feeling before and after the move was excitement. You’re trying something new.
You don’t always realise that scale‑ups are firefighting every day until you’re inside them, but that’s been my experience everywhere I’ve worked. I find that encouraging and exciting because you can get stuck in, solve problems and have impact from day one.
That said, there are two sides to the same coin. What I describe as fast‑paced and nimble, others might describe as chaotic and unstructured. It depends on personality and how you approach work.
When I interview people now, I’m very open about the internal challenges these companies face from a structure perspective. Certain personalities thrive in that environment, and others don’t. It’s not about skill set so much as what energises you day to day.
The environment was fast‑paced and intense, and I leaned on strengths like analytical ability and delivering high‑quality work under pressure, which banking trains you for from day one.
How has your banking experience influenced how you approach your role in technology, both in your work and when hiring?
On hiring, there’s always an unconscious bias towards people with similar backgrounds. Saying that out loud helps make it conscious.
People from banking are typically smart, driven, and used to working hard. I don’t filter exclusively for that background, but I know what strengths those candidates bring, as well as the challenges they might come with.
In my early days at Deliveroo, that background served me well. The environment was fast‑paced and intense, and I leaned on strengths like analytical ability and delivering high‑quality work under pressure, which banking trains you for from day one.
Are there any standout projects or transactions that really benefited from that background?
Most people moving from banking into tech end up in non‑accounting finance roles: business partnering, FP&A, commercial finance, investor relations or corporate development.
The biggest overlap in skills is in corporate development. That was the first area I worked on and where my experience translated most directly.
The standout transaction for me was the Amazon‑led fundraise at Deliveroo, a $600 million round. It was one of the most intense and interesting periods of my career, and where my banking skill set really differentiated me.
Finally, what advice would you give to people in investment banking considering a move into tech?
be very clear with yourself about why you want to move. With the amount of information available now, you can go in with a much better understanding of what to expect. That clarity helps you decide whether it’s the right move or whether another path makes more sense.
I’d say two things. First, it’s never been easier to make the transition. There are far more resources available now: newsletters, podcasts, talks like this, and AI tools. You can learn about the tech world and even build relevant skills before you move.
Learning how businesses work is crucial. You can pick up skills like SQL in a couple of weeks. It’s not essential, but it’s more obviously useful in tech than in banking. There are many skills you can layer on top of that.
Second, be very clear with yourself about why you want to move. With the amount of information available now, you can go in with a much better understanding of what to expect. That clarity helps you decide whether it’s the right move or whether another path makes more sense.
Some people do get burned because the reality doesn’t match their expectations. Taking the time to research, reflect, and speak to people helps you go in with your eyes open.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Tech is often used as shorthand for the corporate world, but it’s only one part of it. What attracts me most to tech isn’t the technology itself, but the people.
Many businesses are changing the world. What differentiates tech, in my experience, is the calibre of people you work with. Every move I’ve made, to Deliveroo, Hopper, and Moneybox, has been because of the people.
When interviewing, that’s the one thing I’d underline. You work with these people every day. I wasn’t looking to leave Deliveroo, but during the interview process with Moneybox I met people who really impressed me, and that’s what made the difference.
If you would like to find out more about making the move from financial services into startup/scaleup tech get in touch with Alex Laurent, Director of Tech Finance to arrange a call.
