IWD 2026, The Women Who Move Us: Miranda Mclean, CMO, Ecommpay – TechRound

Miranda Mclean is the Chief Marketing Officer at Ecommpay, leading the way in the UK FinTech scene and beyond.

Please tell us about yourself and your journey in the tech/startup world.

I’ve spent over two decades building marketing strategies for financial services businesses – Thomson Financial, Reuters, Standard & Poor’s, Equifax – before finding my real home in FinTech.

My first big move came in 2015 when I joined Banking Circle (then Saxo Payments) as part of the founding team, creating the brand from scratch and taking it to a multi-million-dollar business in under three years. I joined Ecommpay as CMO in early 2024, and it’s been the most energising chapter yet.

We’re a genuinely inclusive global payments platform with ambitious plans, and I get to lead the marketing that brings that story to life.

What has been one defining moment in your career so far, and how did it shape the way you lead or build today?

Joining Banking Circle pre-launch as a founding team member was transformative. Building a brand entirely from zero – with no playbook, no legacy – taught me that clarity of purpose is everything. When you can articulate who you are and why you exist with absolute conviction, everything else follows: the positioning, the product story, the culture. That experience has shaped how I approach every marketing challenge now. I start with ‘why’ and build outward. It also taught me that the best marketing doesn’t just reflect a business – it helps define it.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in the tech/startup landscape, and how did you navigate them?

The most persistent challenge has been navigating spaces where the default assumption is that the most senior person in the room is the man standing next to you.

I’ve learned to take up space deliberately – to speak first, own my expertise and not wait for an invitation. I’ve also been deliberate about building networks of peers and mentors, which is why I’ve served on the Executive Board of the European Women Payments Network since 2019. Community is the antidote to isolation, and I’ve found that investing in others’ progress tends to lift everyone.

What’s something you think the tech world/startup industry is getting right when it comes to supporting women?

There’s genuine momentum around representation at events and in visible leadership – and that matters more than it sounds.

When a young woman entering FinTech sees women on stage, on panels and in senior roles, it shifts what she believes is possible. Programmes like Money20/20 RiseUp and the Innovate Finance Women in FinTech Powerlist are doing important work to surface and celebrate women who might otherwise remain under the radar.

Visibility creates permission.

Conversely, where is there still work to be done in supporting women in tech and startups?

Capital. The investment gap is structural and stark. Women-led FinTechs still receive a fraction of the funding that comparable male-led businesses attract, and until that changes, every other conversation about inclusion is working around the edges of a bigger problem. I’d like to see every VC and corporate venture arm held publicly accountable for their portfolio diversity.

Looking ahead, what change would you most like to see for women in tech over the next five years?

I want to see women not just represented in FinTech but actively shaping its direction – in product design, in investment decisions, in regulation. The sector’s origins lie in democratising finance, but if the people building it don’t reflect the people using it, we’ll keep replicating old exclusions in new technology.

I’d love to see a future where diverse founding teams are so unremarkable that we stop counting them – because they’re simply the norm.

What advice would you give to women who are just starting out in tech or considering founding their own company?

Find your community before you think you need it. Don’t wait until you’re struggling to build your network – invest in those relationships early and generously. And trust your instincts: the perspective you bring as a woman, as a person with a particular background and experience, is not a limitation. It’s a competitive advantage. The industry needs what you see that others don’t. Back yourself.

Wins and Wisdom: A Quick Q&A

Miranda has had an incredible, successful career in fintech and far beyond. But we wanted to know a little more about who she is and what moves her.

1. Who is a woman, past or present, who inspires you the most and why?

Martha Mghendi-Fisher, the founder of EWPN. She built something genuinely rare – a community that holds itself accountable to progress, not just visibility. Watching her grow EWPN to over 12,000 members across Europe, entirely driven by mission rather than ego, is a masterclass in purposeful leadership. She’s also a generous champion of others, which I think is the mark of a truly great leader.

2. What’s a book, podcast or resource that has helped shape your career?

The Cambridge University Business Sustainability diploma reshaped how I think about the purpose of business itself. Beyond formal learning, I find real insight in following practitioners who think at the intersection of technology, ethics, and society. The best resource, though, has always been other people – the conversations I’ve had through EWPN and being part of the Payments Association ESG and D&I Working Groups, as well as sitting on The Advisory Board of the FinTech Marketing Community have been formative in ways no book could replicate.

3. Can you share a quote or mantra that motivates you when things get tough?

“Done is better than perfect” – but only as a starting point. I pair it with a genuine commitment to iteration. In FinTech, the market moves fast and waiting for perfect means being permanently late.Learn quickly, improve relentlessly. That combination has served me better than perfectionism ever would have.

4. What’s one win or achievement from your career that you’re especially proud of?

Launching the Ecommpay rebrand and the Ecommpay for Good programme in 2024. It wasn’t just a new logo – it was a strategic commitment to accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability that runs through every touchpoint of the business. Working with the Digital Accessibility Centre, launching our Guide to Digital Accessibility, and partnering with organisations like Project Nemo: that’s the kind of work that has impact beyond the campaign metrics. Being named in the Women in FinTech Powerlist for the second consecutive year in the same period felt like validation that the work is landing.

Would you like to participate in our 2026 International Women’s Day Interview series? Contact us