Q&A with Arsalan Haque former FX Options Trader at ING, now Head of Trading Product at AssureHedge.
Did you know that you wanted to move from Banking to FinTech?
Yes and no. Honestly, I wouldn’t have made the decision to move into FinTech on my own the pay gap was too large. But after a redundancy, my hand was forced. That actually gave me space to reflect on what I really wanted to do, and FinTech offered a great transition where I could apply both old and new skills in a high-growth environment.
ING was very innovation-focused at the time. I got heavily involved with the ING Innovation Hub, its labs and ventures. I acted as a sounding board for startups and frequently took part in the Innovation Bootcamp an annual internal competition. One year, I pitched a PropTech solution using a centralised digital ledger to connect investors with social housing tenants, aimed at democratising affordable home ownership.
At the time I was based in Singapore, and during gardening leave I was meeting 5–6 people a day not necessarily looking for a job, just networking. That’s how I naturally ended up in a FinTech consultancy role, which gave me the space to research the market further.
How did you find out about AssureHedge?
While I was at ING, I always saw a massive gap in the FX market for SMEs a segment banks typically ignored. I’d even developed a pitch for a low-touch FX hedging platform aimed at SMEs and retail clients.
After I left ING, I had the time to explore that space properly. I actually came across AssureHedge by signing up for a product demo on their site. They were small at the time and didn’t get much inbound interest, so the CEO personally called me thinking I was scouting them out competitively!
That initial contact led to some consulting work. Then they attended the Singapore FinTech Festival, and I ended up spending the whole week at their stand, introducing them to my APAC network. At that point, I was semi-retired and transitioning back to the UK. But when the CEO asked me to join full-time, I jumped at the opportunity.
What kind of preparation did you do to join AssureHedge, and what skills did you showcase?
FinTech demands a much broader skill set. You need to be ready to roll your sleeves up and tackle real problems. They were initially worried about whether someone from a large institution like ING would have the energy or mindset for a small, fast-moving team. But in my case, that wasn’t an issue at all.
If you’re thinking about making the move, ask yourself:
Do you rely on infrastructure, or do you like building it?
In FinTech, you absolutely need to be a builder.
Also — don’t obsess over initial salary. I came in quite light for my experience because I genuinely believed in the product and wanted to be part of the journey. In the first 4 months, I was working on everything from rebuilding a risk system to credit modelling, sales, product development, and back office revamps. After a year of proven impact, I was in a strong position to negotiate a solid pay increase.
What’s the biggest difference between ING and AssureHedge?
At a bank, roles are deeply specialised. I had in-depth FX market knowledge and was surrounded by other subject-matter experts.
At AssureHedge, the environment is full of generalists. That FX experience was still hugely valuable, but broader banking operations knowledge also came into play. The work cuts across multiple departments, and you learn a lot, fast.
In terms of culture, FinTech is flatter and less political. There’s less bureaucracy, and everyone has more of a voice. That said, there’s also more chaos. Systems are often broken, and it takes time to adapt but if you thrive in that environment, the impact you can make is huge.
