EP #432 - Francisco Fernandez: The Universal Banking Platform
Aug 28, 2024
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Francisco Fernandez, founder and former CEO of Avaloq, shares his journey transforming banking through innovative tech. He discusses the concept of a universal banking platform and the importance of leadership as a learned skill. Francisco reflects on his passion for building and the stark contrast between the instant gratification of coding versus the slow burn of entrepreneurship. He also explores employee stakeholding and how empowering team members can create shared success. Get ready for insights into navigating change and strategic choices in the entrepreneurial landscape!
Francisco Fernandez emphasizes that effective leadership is a distinct skill set requiring training, essential for company growth and employee motivation.
The success of Avaloq relied on creating innovative banking products rather than on heavy acquisitions, highlighting the importance of organic growth strategies.
Deep dives
The Journey of Avalloc
The story of Avalloc began with its roots in the BCI bank, where the founder initially joined as a computer science graduate. The company's journey was marked by a management buyout that allowed a small group of employees to take ownership and drive the company towards innovation in digital banking systems. This transition was fueled by the founders' ambition to modernize banking processes, which was a key driver behind the establishment of Avalloc's platform. The entrepreneurial spirit fostered within the team played a fundamental role in their ability to innovate and scale in a highly competitive industry.
Importance of Leadership and Talent Development
Leadership is viewed as a distinct skill set that requires extensive training and is not typically learned through formal education. Effective leadership is essential for the growth of a company, especially as it scales and adds more employees. Developing a culture that motivates and retains talent is crucial, and the founder emphasizes the importance of 'servant leadership'—focusing on helping team members excel. The founder believes that each leader’s impact is magnified by surrounding themselves with talented individuals, and that fostering a collaborative environment ultimately drives success.
Organic Growth Strategy
The growth strategy for Avalloc was primarily organic, focusing on developing their own products rather than relying heavily on acquisitions. Tactical acquisitions were made, such as purchasing a risk management firm to enhance their offerings, but these were seen as supplements rather than the main focus. The founder stresses that true success is found in creating world-class products that provide value to customers, rather than simply buying companies for revenue generation. A strategic and thoughtful approach to acquisitions is emphasized to ensure alignment with their core mission and customer needs.
Reinvention and Future Endeavors
Entrepreneurs must continually reinvent themselves and their companies to remain relevant in a rapidly changing market. Acknowledging the importance of adapting to technological advancements, the founder emphasizes that success is not an automatic outcome, but rather a journey filled with challenges and opportunities for growth. The founder’s passion for problem-solving drives their new ventures, aiming to address pressing issues with innovative solutions. They express excitement about their future projects and the potential impact they can have, showcasing a relentless pursuit of new opportunities.
Francisco Fernandez is the founder and former CEO of Avaloq, a front-to-back software provider for financial institutions around the world. He holds a MSc in Computer Science from ETH, and was CEO at Avaloq until 2017, chairman from 2018 to 2021, and has been a board member since 2021.
Avaloq develops software that can be deployed flexibly through cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) or on-premises, and they also offer Banking Operations outsourcing through their Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) model. They have 160+ clients in 35 countries and currently employ over 2500 people. In October 2020, Avaloq was acquired by NEC Corporation for $2.2B.