Malaysia marked a significant step forward in strengthening its fintech talent ecosystem with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Manaf Gardner Associates and the Fintech Association of Malaysia at Money20/20 Asia, one of the world’s leading fintech platforms.
The partnership formalises Manaf Gardner as FAOM’s executive education partner, reflecting a shared commitment to accelerate talent development and capability building across Malaysia’s fast evolving fintech landscape.
A key focus of this collaboration is the joint development and promotion of the Malaysia Fintech 2030 initiative, which aims to strengthen the industry’s talent pipeline and readiness for future growth. This initiative is aligned with Malaysia’s national development agenda, including the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) and the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (RMK13), both of which place strong emphasis on digital transformation and the development of a highly skilled workforce as critical drivers of economic growth.
Led by Chairman Datuk Dr Nora Manaf and CEO Professor Dr Colyn Gardner, Manaf Gardner Associates will work closely with FAOM, represented by President Anil Singh Gill, to identify capability gaps, co develop relevant programmes and support fintech players at different stages of growth, from emerging startups to scaling companies and those preparing for listing.Programme formats under this collaboration will include short masterclass workshops in Malaysia, international residential programmes at leading business schools, visiting faculty programmes, and modular learning pathways leading to university issued certifications. These programmes will be HRD Corp claimable, enabling Malaysian corporates to utilise their training levies and broaden accessibility for FAOM members.
The partnership also reflects Manaf Gardner’s role in bringing structured capability development frameworks and global academic partnerships into the Malaysian fintech ecosystem. Both parties will collaborate on joint events, roundtables and thought leadership initiatives, creating platforms for industry dialogue and knowledge exchange.
Importantly, the collaboration places a strong emphasis on quality over quantity, ensuring that programmes delivered are relevant, applied and impactful for industry participants.
The MOU signing was represented on the ground by Dr Huw Gardner, Director of Manaf Gardner Associates, marking the collaboration on an international stage and reinforcing Malaysia’s ambition to compete regionally through stronger talent, sharper capabilities and globally informed learning.
Professor Dr Colyn Gardner, CEO of Manaf Gardner Associates, said:
“Executive education must go beyond theory. Our focus is to bring practitioner-led learning that is deeply applied, relevant to real industry challenges and capable of supporting organisations through different stages of growth and transformation.”
Anil Singh Gill, President of the Fintech Association of Malaysia, said:
“Talent development is central to the continued advancement of Malaysia’s fintech ecosystem. This collaboration strengthens our ability to identify capability gaps, co-create meaningful learning pathways and support our members in navigating a rapidly evolving industry.”
Dr Huw Gardner, Business Development Director of Manaf Gardner Associates, said:
“Signing this collaboration at Money20/20 is symbolic. It reflects Malaysia’s willingness to engage globally while investing locally in the talent and capabilities needed to remain competitive.”
Datuk Dr Nora Manaf, Chairman of Manaf Gardner Associates, said:
“Malaysia has the ingredients to lead in fintech, but sustained growth depends on building the right capabilities alongside innovation. This partnership is about helping shape a stronger talent ecosystem and ensuring Malaysian fintech players have access to globally informed, practical learning.”
Rian Philip – Founder at Moby Fintech said:
“Moby is proud to support the FAOM x MGA partnership. By establishing structured capability development pathways, we are ensuring that the Malaysian FinTech ecosystem remains a regional leader, empowering local talent to innovate and scale solutions that meet global standards.”
About The Author
