IBS Intelligence Global FinTech Interviews

Vince Graziani, Chief Executive Officer, IDEX BiometricsFocus groups from the European Central Bank’s investigation into digital currencies show that consumers want a digital euro to be as flexible as the fiat euro. In many ways the technology developed in the creation of cryptocurrencies may well lend itself to the development of fiat digital currencies with an added layer of security and, therefore, acceptability through the incorporation of biometric solutions. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Vince Graziani, CEO of IDEX Biometrics.

Peter Woeste Christensen, Director, Lucht Probst Associates GmbH (LPA) Peter Woeste Christensen, Director at capital markets technology and consulting firm LPA, believes that the rise of CBDCs has the potential to completely replace the current corresponding banking model. A shift from physical cash to CBDCs could move the current deposit model to a pure custody model, where banks no longer have direct access to retail funding. He expanded on this topic in conversation with IBSi’s Reporter Gaia Lamperti. 

Louisa Murray, COO UK & Europe, RailsrThe first wave of FinTech has digitised conventional financial services, most notably through neobanks that have improved the consumer banking experience and educated large sections of the population to trust banking beyond legacy banks. However, the needle had not moved enough, according to Louisa Murray, COO UK & Europe, Railsr. She believes that FinTech 2.0 will see the continued rise of embedded finance powering brand-led, more meaningful financial experiences that will drive the future of consumer finance.  

Carlos León, Director of Financial Markets Infrastructures and Digital Currencies Solutions, FNASince the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the EU has imposed a number of financial sanctions and restrictions targeting Russia’s major banks, freezing assets and banning the country from the international bank messaging system SWIFT. But what will be the significance and future ramifications of these sanctions against the Russian state? How are they impacting the region’s FinTech scene too? Carlos León, Director at FNA and former Senior Researcher at the Central Bank of Columbia and Expert at the IMF, delved into the topic with IBSi’s Reporter Gaia Lamperti.

Brian Kaas, President & Managing Director, CMFG VenturesCMFG Ventures is the venture capital arm of CUNA Mutual Group, a credit union partner since 1935. More than 95% of US credit unions count on CUNA Mutual Group for a range of financial products and services. The VC unit has some 27 portfolio companies and has invested $240 million. Brian Kaas, President and Managing Director of CMFG Ventures speaks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence about the state of the VC marketplace and what financial institutions need to know when partnering with a new FinTech.

Tamer Al Mauge, Managing Director MENA, Codebase Technologies; Pankul Verma, Principal, Cedar Management Consulting International Why are there so few standalone neobanks in the MENA region and why have so many traditional banks there launched neobank subsidiaries? Is the region overbanked as many have claimed and what does it take for a neobank in MENA to be regarded as a success? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the issues with Tamer Al Mauge (pictured), Managing Director MENA for Codebase Technologies and Pankul Verma, Principal at Cedar Management Consulting International.

Sendi Young, Managing Director Europe, Ripple The European FinTech space has seen a boom in recent years, with the UK in particular, fuelling huge growth in the sector. In the first half of 2021 alone, FinTech investment in the region reached $39 billion according to KPMG. In conversation with Sendi Young, MD Europe at Ripple, IBSi’s Reporter Gaia Lamperti discussed how this momentum translated in the crypto world and how the company is set to continue its upward trajectory with no signs of slowing down soon.  

Landon Glenn, Founder & CEO, ASA TechnologiesFinTechs are very good at leveraging data to serve affinity groups, but they are, by and large, not bankers and nor do most of them want to be bankers. Collaborative banking is a concept being promoted as a solution that removes any compliance and regulatory burden from FinTechs, allowing them to focus on their core competencies while creating a role and opportunity for financial institutions. Landon Glenn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ASA Technologies, talks to Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence.

Omar Shaikh, Founder & CEO, Cocoa Invest Several regulators around the world operate sandbox environments. What benefits does going through this process bring for the FinTechs involved? Cocoa Invest is an Islamic digital wealth manager and recently completed its time in the Central Bank of Bahrain’s sandbox. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses what the FinTech gained from the experience with Omar Shaikh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cocoa Invest.

Pete Cherecwich, President of Asset Servicing, Northern TrustFounded over 130 years ago, a global financial institution with $16 trillion in assets under custody and more than 20,000 employees, Northern Trust has quickly incorporated digital innovation in its strategy to speed up internal processes and enhance the client experience. Gaia Lamperti, Reporter at IBSi, sat down with Pete Cherecwich, President of Asset Servicing at Northern Trust, to comment on this and what it will take for the entire ecosystem to pick up the pace.