Erin Platts

Erin Platts is CEO of Octopus Ventures and formerly CEO of HSBC Innovation Banking UK. She was responsible for leading, developing and scaling the Bank’s business across the UK and Nordics. HSBC Innovation Banking is a full-service UK subsidiary Bank with all local operations and functions under Erin’s leadership. Erin is well versed in scaling highly regulated businesses, is an active spokesperson for the ecosystem, and is experienced working across several global regulators.  Erin also joined HSBC UK's Executive Committee in June 2023 and previously served on several external boards.

As a 20-year veteran of banking the innovation sector, Erin joined SVB Financial Group in 2004, relocated to the UK in 2007 and was most recently CEO of SVB UK from 2019 and until HSBC's acquisition in March 2023. Along with the team she scaled the business to over 800 people across 6 countries and led through various successful banking licenses including transforming the UK operations to a standalone regulated subsidiary in 2022.

Erin is a well-connected and active champion of the global innovation economy and is a dual US and UK citizen.  Under Erin’s leadership several external partnerships have been formed with HSBC Innovation Banking to advance the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion agenda in the local markets which include Career Ready, the Newton Venture Program, Diversity VC, Tech Nation, Founders Forum, & Atomico’s State of European Tech report.

In 2020, Erin was selected by Innovate Finance as a Top Women in Fintech under the Senior leader category and by Computer Weekly in the top 200 Most Influential Women in Tech. Erin earned a BA in Business Management and Entrepreneurial Studies from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.