Nigel Morris

Nigel William Morris was born in Billericay, Essex, the son of an army sergeant,{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-man-from-over-here-doing-rather-well-over-there-128182.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-man-from-over-here-doing-rather-well-over-there-128182.html |archive-date=20 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The man from over here doing rather well over there|first=Nigel|last=Cope|date=18 November 2002|work=Independent|accessdate=10 January 2018}} in June 1958.{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/sZY1tLBA8LefkP8VqVKTdAAZigE/appointments|title=Nigel William MORRIS|website=Companies House|accessdate=10 January 2018}} He came from a working-class Welsh family: his mother was a fluent Welsh speaker from Blaenau Ffestiniog{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MHrNPEmuqI |title=Nigel Morris, QED and Capital One Co-Founder - Transforming Financial Services for a Billion People |date=2024-11-19 |last=Miguel Armaza |access-date=2024-12-23 |via=YouTube}} and his father was born in Essex to a family from Port Talbot.{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Martin |date=2004 |title=Obituary - Life of a caring soldier; Martin Morris remembers his father, Herbert (above), who has died aged 70 |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/obituary+-+Life+of+a+caring+soldier;+Martin+Morris+remembers+his...-a0116777603 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241224012731/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/obituary+-+Life+of+a+caring+soldier;+Martin+Morris+remembers+his...-a0116777603 |archive-date=2024-12-24 |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=The Free Library}}{{cite podcast |url=https://www.audible.co.uk/podcast/How-To-Fail-With-Elizabeth-Day/episodes/B08K5YJS25 |title=How to Fail with Elizabeth Day |publisher=Sony Music Entertainment |host=Elizabeth Day |date=16 August 2023 |access-date=24 December 2024}} Morris grew up in Essex.{{cite web|url=https://qedinvestors.com/team/nigel-morris/|title=Nigel Morris|website=QED Investors|accessdate=10 January 2018}}

With an army father, and moving around the country, Morris went to 11 different schools, ending up at Lancaster Royal Grammar School. Morris earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from North East London Polytechnic, followed by an MBA from London Business School, where he is also a Fellow.{{cite web|title=Nigel W. Morris: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=336245&privcapId=62506662|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131003222933/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=336245&privcapId=62506662|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 October 2013|accessdate=10 January 2018|website=investing.businessweek.com}}

Morris moved to Philadelphia in the 1980s where he met his future co-founder Rich Fairbank.{{Cite web |title=Asking Nigel Morris of Capital One, "What's in your Wallet?" |url=https://www.startupgrind.com/blog/lets-ask-nigel-morris-whats-in-your-wallet/ |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Startup Grind |language=en}} They worked for Strategic Planning Associates (now known as Mercer Consulting) where they formed the company's banking function, focussed on the credit card industry. He moved to Signet Bank{{Cite web |title=Asking Nigel Morris of Capital One, "What's in your Wallet?" |url=https://www.startupgrind.com/blog/lets-ask-nigel-morris-whats-in-your-wallet/ |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Startup Grind |language=en}} to focus on credit, but faced resistance to attempts to expand into the Canadian market, spurring him to start his own business.

Established in 1994 spun out of Signet Financial Corp, Morris co-founded and served as Chief Operating Officer of Capital One Financial Services.{{Cite magazine |last=Botella |first=Elena |date=2019-10-02 |title=I Worked at Capital One for Five Years. This Is How We Justified Piling Debt on Poor Customers |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/155212/worked-capital-one-five-years-justified-piling-debt-poor-customers |access-date=2019-10-18 |magazine=The New Republic}} During Morris's ten-year tenure while he served as President, Capital One's net income after taxes (NIAT) grew at a compound annual rate of more than 32%.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} He left the bank in 2004, shifting to venture capital investing.

In 2007 Morris founded QED Investors with CIO Frank Rotman.{{Cite web |last=Azevedo |first=Mary Ann |date=2021-09-14 |title=QED Investors closes on $1.05B across two funds to invest in fintech companies globally |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/14/qed-investors-closes-on-1-05b-to-invest-in-fintech-companies-globally/ |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} QED is a venture capital firm focused on high-growth financial technology companies.{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} QED Investors |url=https://www.qedinvestors.com/ |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=www.qedinvestors.com |language=en}} In addition, he works in an advisory capacity with personalized prepaid debit card provider CARD.com, General Atlantic Partners and Oliver Wyman Consulting.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}} He is on the board of for-profit companies, including Mission Lane, Remitly, Red Ventures, CAN Capital, Media Math, borro, and Prosper.{{cite web|url=http://www.americanbanker.com/people/capital-one-alum-nigel-morris-joins-prospers-board-1068001-1.html|title=Capital One Alum Nigel Morris Joins Prosper's Board|first=Kevin |last=Wack|date=10 June 2014|work=American Banker|accessdate=10 January 2018}} He is also on the boards of National Geographic,{{cite web|title=Capital One co-founder Nigel Morris joins AvidXchange's board|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/techflash/2016/01/capital-one-co-foundernigel-morris-joins.html|access-date=2019-10-23|first=Hilary |last=Burns|date=20 Jan 2016|work=Charlotte Business Journal}} ideas42, and the London Business School.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

In 2023, Morris joined Swansea City's ownership group, joining the board and investing a reported £10m in return for a shareholding in the club of 19.42 per cent.{{Cite news |date=2023-06-12 |title=Nigel Morris joins Swansea City board after investment |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65885599 |access-date=2024-12-23 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}{{cite news|url=https://www.swanseacity.com/club/ownership-statement |title=Ownership statement |publisher=Swansea City |access-date=22 June 2023}}

Morris lives in the United States with his wife and four children in Virginia. He is a Tottenham Hotspur fan.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-26 |title=🎧The Fintech OG Series: Frank Rotman and Nigel Morris |url=https://www.thisweekinfintech.com/the-fintech-og-series-frank-rotman-and-nigel-morris/ |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=This Week in Fintech |language=en}} He purchased St Michael's Church in Llanffestiniog, the village where his mother grew up, married, and where both of his parents are buried.

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Category:Alumni of London Business School

Category:British financial company founders

Category:British technology company founders

Category:English businesspeople

Category:British corporate directors

Category:People educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Category:English bankers

Category:Living people

Category:1958 births

Category:Alumni of the University of East London

Category:People from Billericay

Category:American people of Welsh descent

Category:21st-century British businesspeople

Category:Welsh emigrants to the United States

Category:Welsh billionaires

Category:20th-century Welsh businesspeople

Category:Businesspeople from Essex