Kirsty Rutter
Group Strategic Investment Director at Lloyds Banking Group
Please introduce yourself and your background. What has brought you into fintech?
My name is Kirsty Rutter, and I lead the fintech investment team at Lloyds Banking Group. Three years ago, with sponsorship from both our CEO and CFO, I established the team from scratch. Today, its main function is to invest in fintech companies from Seed stage to Series B that align with the Group’s long-term objectives.
Before this, I’ve had what I’d call a “squiggly” career, but the common thread has always been always related to banking in its many forms. What has driven me throughout it is my appetite for learning and my passion for creating commercial value. This has often led me to take on the challenge of building something new.
A career in the financial industries can come with its challenges. Have you faced any as a woman in this mostly male-dominated field?
Since my university days—where I studied Physics in a class with a 10% female ratio—being in the minority has been my “normal.” However, I’ve always chosen to use my uniqueness as a way to be seen. I’m not saying it's been easy, and I have certainly had my share of challenges as a result of “growing up” in very male-dominated cultures.
Nevertheless, I don’t believe that problems always come from gender—I’ve also had difficult experiences with female managers. More often, challenges come from a mismatch in values. Over time, I’ve learned to make decisions based on an alignment of values whenever I am to make a change.
That’s an important point about different values. Have you somehow approached building a diverse and inclusive culture within your corporate venture team?
Corporate venture capital remains heavily male-dominated, and women in leadership roles are even rarer. However, I’ve made sure that at least my own team reflects the diversity I want to see—since its beginning, it has been at least 50% female.
This goes beyond simply hiring female specialists. I also work hard to create an open culture where people feel safe to be their full selves. When a team feels supported, they will take more measured risk leading to greater things as a result. I always ask them to keep me honest, and I am blessed that they do.
Your approach is very thoughtful, and sounds like advice for many managers. What can you recommend for women looking to break into fintech, venture capital, or leadership roles in finance?
Network, network, network. Attend events, reach out for coffee chats, and leverage every connection you have—friends, family, former colleagues. And just as importantly—ask for what you want. What’s the worst that can happen? Even if they say no, it’s not the end of the world. For me, every role I was offered beyond junior management came through my network. Even today, I continue to actively nurture those relationships almost every day.
That’s great advice. As you’ve mentioned the importance of visibility, what initiatives or changes would you like to see in the industry to further promote gender diversity and inclusivity?
I guess there’s no single “silver bullet” solution—it will take many small actions.
There is absolutely value in joining networks and finding allies that will support you, although those allies need not always just be female.
I’m also part of a growing network of women who are working on a variety of initiatives to increase visibility and connectivity within fintech and venture capital. It would definitely be a better change if there were more initiatives like this. After all, you can’t be what you can’t see.
