Welcome to the IT Pro Panel Profile, where we talk to the CIOs, experts and IT leaders that make up the IT Pro Panel, and discover their top tech, pet peeves and IT inspirations.
The past few years have seen challenger banks and fintech startups revolutionising how we manage our money - but that doesn't stop with adults. RoosterMoney is an app designed to help parents manage their childrens' pocket money, introducing them to the world of budgets and savings.
The company recently rolled out a pre-paid debit card for kids, and CTO Jon Smart has been instrumental in ensuring that all the technical frameworks and infrastructure needed to support real-time payment processing are stable and performant. Working with his team, Jon has been getting stuck into the challenge of building a child-friendly fintech firm.
Jon Smart
CTO - RoosterMoney
Describe your role in 20 words or fewer.
As CTO at RoosterMoney, I oversee the product and development teams, and advise on all things technical within the business.
What was your first computer?
My first computer was a Commodore 64; I remember programming a game in BASIC from a book. I also have fond memories of the psychedelic loading screens whilst a game was loading from a cassette tape.
What do you like most about working in IT?
I love the challenges presented from such a large landscape of opportunity. There's always an area receiving innovative ideas that can inspire others. I find being a part of both the innovation and the use of different technologies is really rewarding.
If you could magically get rid of one piece of technology forever, what would it be, and why?
For most technology I could think of that has had a negative impact, I could think of another that either learnt from that mistake or was inspired by aspects of it. That being said, I'm yet to see how ransomware will fit into this evolution - especially when it's used against companies trying to benefit society.
What future tech innovations are you most excited about?
Ignoring those that are yet to appear and are likely already in the pipeline; I like to keep an eye on wearable innovations and how we integrate technology in ways that become less cumbersome and more accessible to all.
Who's your biggest inspiration in the world of tech?
Steve Jobs and Jony Ive were inspirational during key moments of my career, bringing the marriage of design and engineering together.
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