IBS Intelligence Global FinTech Interviews

As the global pandemic is pushing people towards new payments solutions and the US catching on to contactless, San Francisco-based Purewrist is responding by launching a wearable payments bracelet. Suresh Palliparambil, the CEO of Purewrist speaks to Sunniva Kolostyak about the Purewrist GO, issuing co-branded cards, and social responsibility.

It was recently announced that next year a ban on discretionary commission models in auto financing will take effect in the UK. No longer will vehicle retailers and finance providers receive commission linked to the interest rate a customer may pay – a clear incentive to act against customer interests. Robin Amlot of IBS Intelligence discussed what the change in regulations means for the UK motor financing industry with Daniel Layne, CEO of FinTech Quotevine, which specialises in finance software and cloud solutions for asset, auto and consumer finance.

Global markets have been forced to address the threat from the coronavirus crisis, however, not all have approached it in the same way. Mario Shiliashki, CEO of Payments at PayU, speaks to Sunniva Kolostyak about how FinTechs, alongside governments, are driving economic growth and supporting local communities.

Bob Legters is responsible for investment in data and artificial intelligence at Florida-based FIS, one of the world’s largest financial technology firms. Taking account of the ‘democratisation’ of financial planning thanks to developments in AI, he told Robin Amlot of IBS Intelligence that people not using AI-enabled money management tools are seriously missing out.

Justin is one of the most ebullient characters of the investing scene in the UK. His new venture is Regionally, a platform that aims to bring together regional business with regional investors, allowing vetted companies access to private capital in the range of £0.5m to £10m. This members’ only online investment service could help play a key role in helping regional UK SMEs to scale up.

National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has chosen to digitally transform its transaction banking business with the Infosys Finacle Cash Management Suite. Zied Jalali of National Bank of Bahrain and Venkat Gosavi of Infosys Finacle spoke with Robin Amlot about the bank’s transformation journey and the decisions behind the choices made.

A recent report about the financial impact of COVID-19 in the US showed 83% of lower to middle income households say that they want to turn to their banks for financial support. SpringFour’s technology provides real-time access to local financial resources that banks’ customer service agents share with their customers. Since the pandemic began, SpringFour has delivered more than 1.6 million referrals to vetted financial resources for food assistance, foreclosure assistance, healthcare savings, employment services, and childcare support.

Global Ventures is a Dubai-based, growth-stage venture capital firm. Within its investment portfolio, Global Ventures is looking for Middle East-based FinTechs capable of scaling up both inside and, more importantly, outside the region – one recent example being Cairo-based payments FinTech Paymob. Basil Moftah discussed the VC firm’s aims and ambitions with Robin Amlot.

Originally established in Chicago, Heidrick & Struggles is a global executive search firm. Clare Buxton is a Partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ London office and a member of the global Financial Services Practice. She leads the Consumer Financial Services team in the UK and is part of the global FinTech Practice. Robin Amlot spoke to Clare Buxton about the leadership issues facing neobanks.

Bankmed completed its core transformation programme end July/beginning of August. Fouad Baalbaki, CIO of Bankmed, and V Ramkumar, Senior Partner of Cedar Management Consulting International take Robin Amlot through the process of a remote installation amid the Covid-19 pandemic…