Fintech Finance Podcasts: The FF Salon

The Fintech Show #134: How cloud native core banking can keep credit unions competitive. With Mambu and League Data.

In this episode of the Fintech Show, we speak to Fernando Zandona, CEO of Mambu and Carrie Forbes, CEO of League Data, a cooperative supporting credit unions in Atlantic Canada, to find out how their collaboration with Mambu, powered by a scale enhancing platform from AWS, is helping to overcome challenges related to size, innovation, and digitization. In this insightful conversation from Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, both Zandona and Forbes, delve into the challenges faced by credit unions in this area and how Mambu’s composable, cloud-native solution, in partnership with AWS, is revolutionizing the industry.
You’ll hear about key differentiators such as simplicity, a single codebase platform, and a configuration-based approach that enable rapid innovation, allowing financial institutions to go live in a matter of months. It’s a great case study of collaboration and the future of banking technology in action, providing simplicity and speed.

How can the financial sector make use of generative AI today? With HSBC, MongoDB and Capgemini | FF Virtual Arena #320

In this edition of the FF News Virtual Arena, Doug Mackenzie sat down with EJ Achtner from HSBC, Wei You Pan at MongoDB, and Daniel Pears, who leads data insights at Capgemini, to discuss what impact generative AI could have on financial institutions. Achtner emphasizes the need for a measured approach due to significant benefits on one hand but also the risks of misusing this powerful technology. The speakers also noted generative AI's current status as a buzzword, but say that we could have widespread adoption within 3-5 years.
They address challenges such as risk management, governance, and the need for a gradual transition from innovation to production. MongoDB's Pan highlights their work with generative AI, developing enhanced features like vector indexing and search. The conversation underscores the challenges of ensuring data quality and objectivity and also the importance of human involvement in validating and interpreting generative AI results.

The Paytech Show #76: ISO 20022 Payments Visibility Will Change the Game for Cambodian Payments with J Trust Royal and Bottomline

In this episode of The Paytech Show we continue our look at the payments landscape in Cambodia, speaking to Saren Khchav, the Head of Institutional Operations at J Trust Royal Bank and Pecharatham ‘Ice’ Chaitantipong, Business Development Manager at Bottomline, to find out more. We hear how they are implementing ISO 20022 and Khchav says the increase in structured data and greater clarity in screening will help them to send money more safely and revolutionise cross-border payments.
Chaitantipong shares research that shows the biggest payments pain points facing banks, which includes 35% saying they lack visibility of payment status. Of course, ISO 20022 will help to alleviate this but he also explores the work they’re doing during the current coexistence period.

The Banking Revolution in Cambodia: An Interview with Saly Lor of J Trust Royal Bank

In this episode of The PayTech Show, FF News delved into the dynamic banking and payment ecosystem of Cambodia with J Trust Royal Bank in Phnom Penh, where we interviewed Saly Lor, the Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Saly Lor began his journey with J Trust Royal Bank in 2005, steadily progressing through various roles until he took on the position of COO in 2019. His extensive experience encompasses overseeing institutional operations, personal banking, property and administrative functions, as well as central operations.
Under his leadership, the bank handles crucial aspects such as reconciliation, analytics and information management, project management, and transformation initiatives.
Lor provided an insightful overview of the rapid evolution of Cambodia’s banking ecosystem over recent years. Recognized as an emerging financial market, Cambodia has witnessed significant growth in deposits, assets, lending, and both domestic and international payments. New players have entered the market, and there has been a marked shift in consumer behavior, with an increasing number of people integrating banking into their daily lives and business transactions.
One of the most notable trends Lor highlighted is the transition from traditional to digital banking. Consumers in Cambodia are now embracing mobile banking, foreign payments, and QR code scanning, moving away from conventional banking methods. This shift is driven by several factors, including political and socio-economic stability, technological advancements, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the adoption of digital banking solutions.
Discussing the future of banking in Cambodia, Lor emphasized the country’s favorable conditions for growth. With a young and dynamic workforce, a median age of 26, and a strategic geographic location at the heart of Southeast Asia, Cambodia offers significant opportunities for banks and fintech companies. The nation is projected to continue its robust economic growth, with a 5.6% increase anticipated in 2023 despite global geopolitical tensions.
Lor pointed out that while banking activity has increased, there remains a substantial unbanked population, presenting a significant opportunity for financial institutions to expand their reach. Additionally, there is a segment of wealthy senior clients who prefer traditional banking methods and represent another potential market for banks to educate and transition to modern banking services.
The competition in Cambodia’s banking sector is intense, with a mix of large and small banks vying for market share. This competitive landscape drives innovation and investment in sophisticated technologies, although the pace of development can vary depending on the scale of the bank’s operations.
Lor also discussed the importance of cross-border payments, noting the increasing volume of imports and exports and the growing demand for efficient, real-time, and low-cost international payment solutions. The National Bank of Cambodia has been proactive in facilitating both domestic and cross-border payments, launching initiatives like the cross-border QR code system in collaboration with regional partners.
Emphasizing the significance of adopting international standards, Lor highlighted J Trust Royal Bank’s early move towards ISO 20022 compliance. This global standard for electronic data interchange between financial institutions enhances processing, reporting, and reconciliation capabilities. By adopting ISO 20022 ahead of the 2025 deadline, J Trust Royal Bank aims to ensure a smooth transition, minimize risks, and provide seamless services to its customers.
Looking ahead to 2025, Lor envisions a continued positive trajectory for Cambodia’s banking and cross-border payment sectors. He anticipates that customer expectations will drive further advancements, with real-time, low-cost, and predictable transactions becoming the norm. Banks will need to be agile and invest in infrastructure to meet these demands, demonstrating a commitment to thriving alongside their customers.
In conclusion, Saly Lor’s insights offer a comprehensive view of the transformative changes occurring in Cambodia’s banking sector. J Trust Royal Bank is poised to leverage these opportunities, driven by a customer-centric approach and a commitment to technological advancement, positioning itself as a leader in the evolving financial landscape of Cambodia.

The Fintech Show #133 – Winter is Coming and So Is AI in the financial sector: Looking Beyond the Buzzword with NatWest, SmartStream and UniCredit

In this episode of the Fintech Show we’re talking about AI in the financial sector with Jonathan Hall, Head of Digital at NatWest, Roland Brandli, Strategic Product Manager at SmartStream Technologies and Dr Shivaji Dasgupta who is Chief Data and Intelligence Officer at UniCredit. At Sibos 2023, Brandli lets us know how ISO 20022 will shake things up, making huge amounts of data available.
The challenge of course, is how institutions deal with that safely and effectively. AI could be the answer and we hear about the flexibility SmartStream offer in this area. Hall takes us beyond the buzzword and reveals multiple use cases including the ability to clean up data and identify trends. Dasgupta echoes this and talks about bringing real value to customers and staff, particularly in the area of access rights. It’s a fascinating look at where this technology is heading.

The ever evolving world of payments with Fiserv | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

From the FF Salon at Sibos 2023 we speak to Fiserv Director of Global Sales, Felicidad Zambalamberri, who with 35 years in payments is well placed to tell us what Fiserv are doing now and some recent innovations in the field.
Serving merchants and businesses globally, from “the Walmarts of the world to a kebab shop in Edinburgh”, Fiserv are working on meeting the demand for instant payments and making things happen faster in the back end. We hear about her start in the world of payments and why she’s still passionate about it today.

The Paytech Show #75: APIs Can Be the Key to Seamless Onboarding and Fraud Prevention. With NatWest and Volante.

In this episode of The Paytech Show we speak to Stacey Wilkinson, API Growth Manager at NatWest, and Nadish Lad, who is MD and Head of Strategic Business at Volante to find out how the ease of access to APIs is driving innovation and making fraud prevention more of a reality.
With coverage from Sibos 2023 in Toronto, this episode touches on how the proliferation of Digital Identification could streamline payments processes and how NatWest are looking to provide the technology needed for seamless onboarding. Lad talks about the growing desire for a single API that can tackle multiple bank pain points and what they’re doing at Volante to offer this.

The Paytech Show #74: Why It’s Worth Getting Ahead of the Curve on Cross Border Payments. With Sathapana Bank and Bottomline.

In this episode of The Paytech Show we’re in Cambodia hosting Sathapana Bank‘s Deputy CEO Jean-Pierre Gagnon along with Bottomline Business Development Manager Pecharatham Chaitantipong, to find out how they’re partnering to increase speed and agility in advance of ISO 20022. Speaking to Douglas Mackenzie, Gagnon talks about the benefits of de-risking their transactions and improving their capacity to go cross border.
Chaitantipong from Bottomline, explains how they leverage the Swift network and Visa B2B Connect to help smaller institutions connect with the rest of the world. It’s really all about increased levels of choice and opening up new markets to facilitate growth and you’ll be fascinated to see where it’s heading.

Banks looking to alternatives as payments margins decrease. Icon Solutions | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

In this interview from the FF Salon at Sibos 2023 we speak to Liam Jeffs, Director of Sales and Marketing at Icon Solutions. He points out how Sibos is a great place to network with potential customers and existing partners and we find out there’s even a 5K run that over 300 people took part in!
Jeffs also has some interesting insights into the decreasing margins on payments for banks and how increasing costs are forcing banks to look at other options when it comes to processing payments. He also shares how crucial it is that someone in his position does their research and seeks to genuinely understand their customers challenges.

The Fintech Show #132: Finding the Needle in the Haystack – The Payments Data Landscape with FIS and Intix

In this episode of The Fintech Show we host FIS Head of International Consultants, Guy Moons, alongside Intix Director of Strategic Alliances and Key Accounts, Antoine Cuypers, to find out about their partnership and how payments data management and analysis is changing today. In Belgium, we caught with Cuypers who tells us how they help banks and large financial institutions around the world leverage huge amounts of transactional data and informs us about the technologies that could help them to solve further challenges with unstructured data.
From Sibos 2023 in Toronto, Moons talks about the changes that have occurred as a result of the rollout of ISO 20022 and why they chose to partner with a specialist third party to supercharge this area of their operations.