About Matt Cochrane
I'm a COO, endurance athlete and TEDx speaker.
I've relayed the English Channel, climbed Kilimanjaro, completed Ironman Wales and run more marathons than I care to admit. During the day I build banks. At the weekend I build wardrobes under stairs.
I believe the finish line is an illusion. And I'm still working out what that means.
My dad told me when I was 15 — whatever you do, don't be a lemon.
I had no idea what he meant. But that advice became the compass I've used to navigate everything since — from jumping into the English Channel at 2:18am to steering a startup through the hardest thing in financial services: becoming a fully regulated bank.
I'm currently COO of Fairlo, a Swedish fintech doing exactly that. Before Fairlo I spent years in financial services building experience across different roles — learning what good leadership looks like, what bad leadership costs, and how to keep moving when the ground shifts.
I studied Management at Lancaster University, graduated in 2012, and went into finance purely by chance via a work placement. Best accident I ever had.
Earlier this year I gave a TEDx talk at TEDxUniversityofCrete called The Navigator Mindset — 5 lessons for surviving uncharted waters, from 13-degree seas to boardroom storms.
This site is where I continue that conversation. Honest, no-fluff thinking on navigating life, leadership and the occasional ultra marathon.
Get in touch
If you'd like to discuss a speaking opportunity, collaboration or just want to say the talk resonated — I'd love to hear from you.