We at Divas of Colour fondly remember Catherine Wines, the esteemed former Executive Director and Co-founder of WorldRemit. Catherine was a true visionary who, in 2016, wholeheartedly embraced our mission and vision, recognising their alignment with her own.

For over five years, this shared belief blossomed into a powerful partnership, with WorldRemit becoming a vital sponsor for Divas of Colour events. Catherine was among the very first to champion our cause, and her unwavering support stands as a powerful testament to the spirit of “women supporting women.”

We tragically lost Catherine to cancer, but her legacy as a warrior, a true role model, and an angel endures. We are committed to upholding her strong ideals and her dedication to empowering every woman to discover her purpose and find her voice.

Life of a True Leader

Catherine Wines was a co-founder and former Executive Director of WorldRemit, an online money transfer service. She started the company in 2010 with Ismail Ahmed and Richard Igoe, driven by the belief that digital innovation could make money transfers faster, lower-cost, and more convenient for migrants globally. WorldRemit aimed to disrupt a traditional remittance industry that was often costly and inconvenient for users.

Before co-founding WorldRemit, Catherine had extensive experience in the financial services industry, particularly in money transfer. She was a qualified accountant and held various corporate leadership roles, including at a firm that was eventually sold to Travelex Money Transfer and then to Coinstar Money Transfer. Her career in the 1990s involved extensive travel, including to emerging markets. She also served on the UK government’s Remittances Task Force.

At WorldRemit, Catherine’s responsibilities included corporate governance, global compliance, and licensing. She was a strong advocate for financial inclusion, frequently speaking at conferences and in international media about fintech, innovation, and women in business. She was a non-executive director and a board advisor to Beam.org, a “fintech for good” company that uses crowdfunding to support homeless people through training and into work. She also contributed to the Cambridge Judge Business School as a pathway leader for the Fintech Entrepreneurship Specialist Pathway.

Catherine was known for her relentless focus on doing the right thing for customers and her passion for creating financial inclusion for migrants. She was considered a high-profile female leader in the fintech sector. Sadly, she was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer in 2018. Despite her illness, she remained positive and active, continuing to support WorldRemit as a Non-Executive Director and mentoring other Startup founders.