Fintech Finance Podcasts: The FF Salon

A sandbox to turbocharge bank and fintech partnerships. With NayaOne | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

At the Sibos 2023 FF Salon we speak to Kris Dickinson, Director of financial services at NayaOne, a platform that helps companies and financial institutions digitally transform by providing a sandbox environment in which to test third party services and solutions. We hear about his interest in supporting both banks and the fintech community get to market quicker.
It’s interesting to hear about their recent growth and also some of his experiences on capital markets trading floors and how that’s impacted his desire to solve problems for businesses. Hear about networking at Sibos and much more in this interesting chat from the barbers chair.

Tech’s next big thing could be found in KPMG’s Global Tech Innovator Competition | FF Virtual Arena #319

In our latest FF News Virtual Arena we speak to Head of KPMG Private Enterprise Network, Conor Moore and investor and founder of Globalive, Anthony Lacavera to find out all about KPMG's global technology innovator competition. If you're a startup founder and want to know more about this fantastic competition, in time for entries opening again next year - this is a must watch!
Moore, based in San Francisco, takes us through everything you need to know, including who's eligible, how companies can get involved and what they could gain, even if they don't win. Lacavera who has founded a number of companies and is a judge on the competition, says he wishes it had been around in his early days. He also talks about the valuable opportunity to expand your network and get in front of influential decision makers as an early stage founder. We hear about previous winners of the competition and what tech they're excited to see this time around.

It’s not easy being green, but it can be fun. With NatWest’s Caroline Haas | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

At the FF Salon we had the pleasure of speaking to Caroline Haas, Capital Markets Head of Climate and ESG at NatWest, about how they support financial institutions and companies through their ESG transition. From Sibos 2023 we hear some key points from a talk titled ‘It’s not easy being green’, about how companies can overcome the tremendous workload required to stay in line with regulations.
We also hear about their focus on female entrepreneurship and decarbonisation as well as her thoughts about her journey so far and what’s needed to succeed and flourish in a financial career.

It’s an exciting time to be in payments from Tom Zscach at Swift | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

We speak to Swift CIO Tom Zschach at the FF Salon at Sibos 2023, to hear from the man driving innovation at ‘the Society’. He says it’s a fascinating time to be in payments and cross border transactions and that a lot has changed in the sector, even in the last 3 years.
Zschach also talks about the importance of lifelong learning and humility when working in this industry and how collaborating with others is much better than trying to do it on your own. At Swift they’re uniquely positioned to work with a wide range of organisations across the industry and he’s looking forward to finding ways of dealing with emerging technology.
 

Staying on course and adapting to the crazy world of payments | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

From Sibos 2023 we speak to Marijke Koninckx who is Chief Product Officer at BankiFi. In the FF Salon chair she tells us about their platform that allows banks to embed financial workflows into their existing channels and gives us an insight into her journey so far.
We hear what it’s like to keep saying ‘yes’ in the ‘crazy world of payments’ and how there is always more to learn. There are also the joys of getting the product in the hands of users and there is a lot to look forward to in the year ahead. Of course, whatever you have planned, Koninckx says, you always have to stay fluid and adapt to changes and new regulations.
 

The Insurtech Show #18: Automation is Unlocking the Future of Insurance. With Hastings Direct, AutoRek and CFC

We’re back with another episode of The Insurtech Show, featuring Hastings Direct Chief Information Officer Sasha Jory, Piers Williams who heads up Global Insurance Sales at AutoRek and Jonathan Fletcher, the CTO of CFC, to hear how insurance automation is pulling the industry into the future. In the FF News Studio, Piers Williams speaks about the desire to save valuable time and streamline the customer experience by automating data collection.
CFC and Hastings are both making serious strides in that area and Jory talks about the changes they’ve made to their infrastructure to get ahead of the competition and respond to changes in the market. Fletcher points out where they can add value and even create a better experience for their employees too. In this episode we also hear about how insurers can respond to real time data and the accelerated use of APIs and SaaS to change the trajectory of your company.
 

AI could transform your bank if you let it. Marc Andrews from Pega | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

We’re back at the FF Salon at Sibos 2023 talking to Marc Andrews, VP of financial services at Pega. He speaks about how they are helping banks reduce costs and get to real time payments processing faster. We also hear about the difference between the US and other markets in this area.
There’s conversation on the potential merits of AI, including an interesting point about injecting generative AI into the payments stream, helping human operators to translate cryptic machine messages. He also challenges those who might see new technology as simply a way to do pre-existing tasks faster, instead suggesting it should open up whole new ways of doing things.

TodaQ micro payments technology ready to launch in Toronto | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

At the FF Salon we spoke to Hassan Khan, who is the co-founder and CEO of TodaQ, to find out more about what they’re doing in the world of API-to-API micro-payments. Speaking at Sibos 2023, he filled us in on where they’re heading and the testing they’ve done so far of their technology, which is built to help businesses benefit from super quick payment times.
Khan also raises the benefits of walking meetings at an event like Sibos and how as a Toronto local he’s able to take guests to some cooler spots off the beaten path. Of course, Sibos has presented some great opportunities to network but he talks about how there’s still a requirement to communicate the benefits of their product in it’s simplest terms.
 

We are on the cusp of blockchain breakthrough. Nick Jones from Zumo | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

We speak to Nick Jones, co-founder and CEO of Zumo at the FF Salon at Sibos 2023 about how we could be on the cusp of a blockchain breakthrough. Jones who helped set up the crypto and DeFi based company in 2018, talks about his entryway into this exciting world and how we can move towards using data in a way that is transparent and efficient.
He also has some advice for companies setting up a tech business in the current climate. Capital is scarce so there’s even greater imperative to build out your idea and prove and validate the product. And there’s few better people to talk about this than someone who cut his teeth in an exciting new company and then started his own business.

Real time payments changing the back end | FF Salon at Sibos 2023

In the FF Salon chair we’re joined by David Hooper, VP of Open Banking and Payments at consulting firm CGI at Sibos 2023. With a long and varied history in payments he’s well placed to talk about the how real time payments are changing things for banks. Now businesses have the potential to benefit from improved cash flow as payments are settled instantly in the back end.
We also hear how enabling banks and businesses to send and receive money more quickly than ever before is a key priority for CGI and the impact and satisfaction when the work they’ve done, quietly succeeds. Hear about this and his journey so far in this great interview.