S imon Taylor is currently the Head of Strategy & Content at Sardine, an AI-driven payments and compliance platform focused on fraud and regulatory oversight in fintech. With over two decades of experience spanning blockchain research at Barclays to consultancy with 11FS, Simon has become one of fintech’s most respected voices through his writing, speaking, and strategic thought leadership. 

His widely read Fintech Brainfood newsletter boasts a subscriber base exceeding 40,000, including financiers, CEOs, VCs, and policymakers, illustrating his deep influence in shaping industry perspectives. Taylor’s commentary consistently emphasizes the intersection of innovation, regulation, and practical adoption, particularly in emerging areas like AI agents in financial services. In early 2025, Sardine released a new white paper developed under Taylor’s guidance: the Agentic Oversight Framework, offering scalable best practices for deploying AI agent technology in regulated banking environments. 

Simon is a frequent guest on major fintech podcasts where his communication style, clear, grounded, and forward-looking, allows practitioners to navigate complex topics such as AI governance, AML automation, and fraud prevention. His LinkedIn posts reveal his analytical mindset, with commentary on future-driving trends like “bank-to-pay” rails, stablecoins, and wallet-based rebundling of finance. 

Taylor’s influence combines content creation, strategic thought leadership, and technological consulting, marking him as central to bridging fintech innovation with the practical demands of compliance and risk. He plays a pivotal role in translating complex AI developments into actionable frameworks for banks and fintech companies. With a finger on the pulse of regulation and emerging technology, Simon continues to guide both incumbents and startups toward more resilient and intelligent financial services.