IBS Intelligence Podcasts

Stephen Wright, Head of Regulation & Standards, Bank of APIs, NatWestOpen banking now has 7 million customers in the UK who, for the most part don’t know they are using open banking capabilities. But most of what they are doing does not earn the banks any money! So the question becomes what can bankers do to monetise open banking, and build on what has been developed into a sustainable business for the future? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Stephen Wright, Head of Regulation & Standards, Bank of APIs, NatWest. 

Tony Craddock, Director General, The Payments AssociationWith more than 1,800 attendees and an 80% increase in the number of exhibitors, PAY360 2023 was The Payments Association’s largest event yet. The event shapes payment strategy and policy, bringing together policy makers, innovators, and users. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Tony Craddock, Director General of The Payments Association about the key themes in evidence at the event.

Muraleedhar Pai, Executive Director, Maveric Systems Banks are undergoing digital transformation as a result of digitisation. It has become the sine qua non of almost every action, from basic corporate procedures to client engagement and trading. Although corporate banking has begun to digitise, it is still in its infancy. Due to the unfettered flow of data among banks, their clients, and third parties, more significant changes will take place as it matures. This ‘ecosystem’ will stimulate new operating paradigms and cause extraordinary disruptions. 

Omar Jordan, Founder & CEO, CovianceThe US home equity lending process has barely changed in the last 50 years. Aiming to disrupt this, Coviance, established in 2015, operates a cloud-based platform that speeds up and simplifies the lending process with, among other developments, an automated valuation model that delivers results in a matter of seconds rather than relying on a system of appraisals that can take weeks. Coviance now has more than 425 credit unions and community banks using its platform. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Omar Jordan, Founder and CEO of Coviance. 

Slaven Bilac, CEO, Agent IQBanks face a variety of pain points but one that is common to all is hiring. With millennials and GenZs becoming the majority of the workforce, preferences professed by these demographics are becoming a more prominent factor in the challenges posed by the issue of employee satisfaction. Banks seeking to develop digital solutions need to consider the impact technology is having on employee satisfaction just as much as they should watch for customer satisfaction. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Slaven Bilac, Chief Executive Officer of digital engagement platform Agent IQ.

Michael Amar, Co-Founder & Chairman, Paris Blockchain Week Paris Blockchain Week is dedicated to professionals in the blockchain and Web3 space. The 4th edition takes place as a live event 20-24 March 2023, at the Carrousel du Louvre. This year the event already has 400+ speakers booked and 300+ sponsors. So what may we expect from Paris Blockchain week? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Michael Amar, Chairman of Paris Blockchain Week about enterprise blockchain, open finance and more. 

Mandi McReynolds, Global Head of ESG, Workiva Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in making investment decisions are key to supporting the transition to a greener and more sustainable future. What was once financially immaterial to business and finance is becoming material today and into the future – this process, in a term introduced a couple of years ago at the World Economic Forum, is dynamic materiality. What does this mean for businesses, their shareholders, and stakeholders? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Mandi McReynolds, Global Head of ESG at Workiva, provider of a SaaS platform for corporate reporting, ESG, audit, and risk. 

Daniel Harman, Co-Founder, Darksquare Capital As but one example of how alternative assets can outperform, over the 15 years to 2021, UK forestry generated an annualised return of 18.9%, while the FTSE 100 averaged 9.2% over the same period. Portfolio diversification will be a key trend in investment in the future. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence discusses the FinTech trends driving a focus on alternative investments and what those markets will look like with Daniel Harman, Co-Founder of Darksquare Capital 

Kealan Lennon, Founder & CEO, CleverCardsThrough a customisable and configurable Digital Mastercard, used by public and private sector organisations of all sizes, the CleverCards payments platform enables instant payments without the need for a bank account. Businesses may make payments for all their business requirements – from paying out employee benefits to paying consultants, and from paying out customer incentives and refunds to paying for daily business expenses. Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Kealan Lennon, Founder and CEO of CleverCards. The conversation begins with his thoughts on the discussions about digital transformation at this year’s World Economic Forum.

Mushegh Tovmasyan, Chairman & Founder, Zenus BankZenus Bank is claiming a mission to democratise finance by offering people in developing nations a secure alternative to holding funds in local currencies. Unlike the vast majority of banks in the international banking system, Zenus is a full reserve bank, meaning deposits are retained and not loaned out.  So, what is the significance of an international banking licence and how does the bank operate? Robin Amlôt of IBS Intelligence speaks to Mushegh Tovmasyan, Chairman and Founder of Zenus Bank.