Cato Networks, a Climb Channel Solutions vendor, is the leading Secure Access Service Edge provider in the world, having pioneered the cloud-native architecture which is improving online speeds and security while moving away from a reliance on data centres. The company recently announced that it had surpassed $200 million in ARR —doubling ARR in under two years.  This means they are the fastest company to reach this milestone since LinkedIn. Cato Networks recently attended a Climb Channel Solutions event in Dublin and I spoke to Kanwar Loyal, Cato Networks  VP N Europe & EMEA. Kanwar talks about his background, what Cato does, smart policies, remote working and more. More about  Kanwar Loyal: Kanwar Loyal is Vice President for Cato Networks Northern Europe and Middle East & Africa (MEA) regions. Kanwar joined Cato from CrowdStrike, where he spent the past six years in various customer-facing leadership roles. Kanwar has over two decades of experience in the technology sector. In addition to CrowdStrike, he also held key positions at cyber companies Imperva, and Fortinet where he led high-performing sales teams.  

Credit unions and smaller financial institutions rely heavily on 3rd party providers for AI solutions. But lack of clarity on regulations is one of the factors hindering the adoption of AI in the industry. In this episode of One Vision — FinTech Fuse! Theo chat with Elizabeth Osborne, COO of Great Lakes Credit Union, on the strategies and challenges for adopting AI in the financial services industry. Pro tip from Elizabeth: Start with a focused used case and keep it simple; avoid unnecessary and overcomplicated layers of requirements and dependencies. And don’t forget to listen to your members’ feedback!

Right now when it comes to tech, everyone is taking about AI, but another area of tech that is not mentioned enough is the Immersive Technology sector. I decided to find out more about it and how the immersive technology sector is doing in Ireland, so I spoke with Camille Donegan, interm CEO of Eirmersive to talk about all things immersive technology Camille spoke to me about her background what immersive technology is, what Eirmersive does, the recent Eirmersive network launch event and more. More about Camile Donegal: Camille is a natural connector and creator of communities. She fosters strategic partnerships within the Immersive Technology sector to elevate the Irish ecosystem both nationally and internationally. Her industry acumen, passion for the sector, and hands-on approach to collaboration make her a key player in positioning Eirmersive as the go-to body for industry, academic and government stakeholders. Eirmersive is the voice of the Irish Immersive sector and represents solution providers to spotlight their work nationally and internationally. Our vision is for Ireland to be a go to destination for immersive solutions by 2030. Apply for Eirmersive membership or subscribe to their newsletter here: https://www.eirmersive.com/

Everyone has likely been breached and will continue to be breached at some point. Unfortunately, current practices for protecting against identity theft and fraud are equivalent to "dark ages medicine" and do not effectively guide individuals on protective actions. When customers don’t take action, is it because they are not motivated, or is it because the process is simply too complex? In this episode of One Vision — FinTech Fuse! We chat with Jim Van Dyke, Senior Principal of Innovation for TransUnion on identity safety and how financial institutions can become better guardians for their customers by leveraging data in a smart and thoughtful way. 

In the past decade, we have seen significant progress in data democratization and the rise of consumer-centric financial services — thanks to disruption brought on by increased mobility. As we continue the journey, who will lead the next revolution? Who will be the key players and where will financial advice come from? In this episode of One Vision — FinTech Fuse! Theo chat with Efi Pylarinou on the future of money and finance. While many companies are focusing on low-hanging fruit improvements, there is still plenty of room for innovation in the infrastructure of financial services that can bring significant business value. Where will we go as a society, against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions and regulatory uncertainties? The future belongs to the crazy — who dare to try. 

The 2024 National Ploughing Championships starts today, and from its humble beginnings in 1931, it has expanded and grown year on year. The first National Ploughing Championships used a small field of 26 acres, and today’s National Ploughing Championships uses over 700 acres of land. The National Championships is now no longer just for ploughing or machinery enthusiasts, the modern event now features something for just about every member of the community. These include a Tented Trade Village, a Food Fair, Craft Village, Livestock, Forestry, Education, Lifestyle, Motor Show, Financial Services, Bio Energy and Agri Service. Along with this, there are many entertainment and special events taking place and lots of exhibitors too. One of the exhibitors is Engineers Ireland, and I recently spoke to Engineers Ireland Director General, Damien Owens about their stand and what we can expect to see. Damien spoke about his background, some of the tech Engineers Ireland will be showcasing, AI, and more. More about Engineers Ireland: Engineers Ireland is the voice of the engineering profession in Ireland. Their 25,000+ members make up a community of creative professionals delivering sustainable solutions for society. They have been representing the engineering profession since 1835, making Engineers Ireland one of the oldest and largest professional bodies in Ireland. Their members come from every discipline of engineering, and range from students to fellows of the profession. 

Traditional views on financial milestones and pathways to financial security are changing, and we need different solutions to address our changing needs at various stages of life. In this episode of One Vision — FinTech Fuse! Theo chat with April Clobes, President/CEO of MSU Federal Credit Union, on the impact of technology in the credit union industry. There is an immense interest in deploying AI to create personalized solutions for members and drive efficiencies for credit unions; how we can best leverage the technology in a responsible and fair manner is an on-going exercise. Financial services industry is at an interesting and exciting crossroad. Much work to be done, there is. 

John Mulhall, is a cloud engineer and a regular contributor to Irish Tech News. Tomorrow his first novel, From Terror to Valor: Echoes and Shadows. I caught up with John to talk about his debut novel. John talks about his background, his debut novel, how his military and tech background helped him write his novel and more More about John Mulhall: John is a versatile author known for his gripping fiction narratives in the thriller, action, and suspense genres. With a background as a Journalist, and expertise in cloud technologies as an engineer; John brings a unique blend of storytelling prowess and technical acumen to his work.  His professional journey began in the Irish Defence Forces, honing his skills in security before transitioning to financial operations and management for over 12 years. 

Fall is kicking off with a big BANG, with a series of fintech conferences for us to connect with founders and funders. It is also the recruiting season for our friends at the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator and the Center for Accelerating Financial Equity (CAFE). In this new episode of One Vision — FinTech Fuse! Theo, Barb, and Stephanie reunite to reminisce about the past, present, and future of our industry. Looking back, we have seen plenty of innovative ideas. But what do the activities amount to? Are we working on and measuring what matters? Looking ahead, what is the new battleground in the age of AI and data? Is it still fintech versus banks? Or will it be incumbent platforms versus tech players, aka Magnificent Seven? Perhaps it’s time for some honest conversations and a bit of soul searching. 

Tech is now being used daily by businesses, as it is an important tool in their arsenal. However SME’s are overlooked and under serviced when it comes to tech. But thankfully Cozmotec is one company helping, by focusing exclusively on SME’s that are trying to grow, improve their operations or efficiencies, or just need help increasing profits. Ronan recently spoke to City Gupta the founder and CEO of Cozmotec. Cuty talks about her background, what Cozmotec does, how to make tech less scary and more. More about Cozmotec: Cozmotec is a tech company focusing on robotic process automation and artificial intelligence. Cozmotec is all about making advanced technology and automation affordable and easy to use for every business. Their goal is to help businesses of all sizes benefit from these tools without straining their budgets, making sure that all businesses can succeed in today’s tech-driven world.