The RateSetter Blog

Alex Gowar joined RateSetter from O2 Telefonica, where he was Head of Marketing of BE Broadband.
Before that he was Head of Brand Marketing at Betfair, the world’s leading sports exchange.

“I spent seven great years helping build Betfair, a P2P company that has really revolutionised its sector, and I couldn’t really understand why financial products hadn’t undergone similar cycles of revolution brought about by the internet. The great online businesses have been the ones that undermine the middlemen, and I have had a lot of interest in P2P in all forms. The problem with P2P lending of course is that it feels like a lot of risk in comparison to leaving money in the bank. If anything, the financial crisis has brought it home that there’s risk in even the safest looking investments.

I was re-introduced to Rhydian in late 2010, and was immediately struck by the strength of the business model, which to me stands out. The Provision Fund is a great leveller – it gives Savers confidence and simplicity. What’s so important is the transparency of the business, that you can see the Fund and the markets in real time.”