Few people in the Australian market have the breadth of Telecom and Financial services experience as Rocky Scopelliti, who has spent much of his career looking deeply at the intersection between financial services and the telecom industries. Of particular interest to Rocky has been the rise of the Millennial customer: who are they, how they are different, and why they are an important element in the 'Perfect Storm' that is transforming Financial Services across Asia and around the globe.

In my interview we discuss the emergence of open banking and open ecosystems, we invent a new buzzword ‘Business Fabrics’ to describe the mashup of API’s, machine learning with a touch of Blockchain tossed in for good measure. We touch on some of the most innovative Fintechs and Larger enterprises from across the region including acknowledgements to #AntFinancial, #Tencent #AliPay #Optus #Suncorp #ANZ and more.

 

Produced by Rachel Morrissey, Senior Producer, Provoke Media

The Victorian government has established not one, but two FinTech Hubs to help support establishment of the next wave of successful FinTech Ventures. This week I speak with Alan Tsen, Victorian GM of Stone and Chalk who have been chartered by the Victorian Government to launch one of the two Victorian FinTech Hubs

We discuss the hub, what the next 3, 6 and 12 months are likely to look like, the catalysts, changes and opportunities to create in Australia, and specifically in Melbourne, something unique as a platform for successful FinTech innovation across Asia.

Over a couple of beers we also talk about the ecosystem, go beyond the Sydney/Melbourne narrative, discuss what is working and who we are watching, the cultural dynamics and what each of us expect to see in 2018, a year when the perfect storm of FinTech Disruption, AI, Blockchain, OpenBanking a Royal commission and new regulations all collide!

#RegTech. #StoneAndChalk #blockchain #Incubator #VentureCapital #Victoria #Culture #Diversity #ecosystem #PerfectStorm #Beers

 

Produced by Rachel Morrissey, Senior Producer, Provoke Media

When Asher Tan became interested in bitcoin, the best way to be involved was to start a company based on bitcoin. So he did. He began Coinjar in 2013. Now 5 years later, bitcoin is on every tongue in the cultural and economic landscape.

Lately, with prices shooting through the roof and then falling again, everyone wants a prognosis on boom or bust. Asher believes it is still the early days, and that bitcoin’s real value hasn’t been tapped into yet.

Asher Tan Co-Founder/CEO - @ashertn Asher has a background in economics, formerly providing analysis to leading business magazines on company financial performance and the wider economy.

He leads CoinJar - a successful AngelCube alumnus and Australia’s favourite bitcoin company.

 

Produced by Rachel Morrissey, Senior Producer, Provoke Media

As head of emerging technologies at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Dilan Rajasingham is building a mesh economy.     A mesh economy is about the convergence of new technologies;  Artificial Intelligence will interact with the Internet of Things, and we will have an economy where the convergence of technologies will be machines talking to machines without human intervention.

Dilan sees the bank of the future as an enabler of that economy of convergence, but also we have to safeguard our humanity and talk now about the ethical implications of our technological choices.   Unless we are conscientious, and we look at how these technologies layer,  then we could create convergence that doesn't lead to improvements as AI becomes more prevalent in our lives.   When quantum computing is layered under IOT under AI under voice interface, then we will have a mesh economy because we will have a world built on a mesh of technologies.

But Dilan also sees that AI and IOT give us unprecedented opportunities to make life better.  The help of voice assistants in running our homes is a more natural haptic than any other interface.   Technology will be embedded into our worklives, homes, and bodies.    Eventually, we may interact simply through our thoughts.

 

Bio:

Senior Executive, Banker and practical futurist with deep understanding of emerging technologies such as IoT, Blockchain, AI, Quantum Computing and AR/VR. Converting technology into operational efficiencies and incremental and future revenue.

Created cross-industry, and ecosystem partnerships, 10+ years working with Executive Committees in Global 500 companies; and 20+ years in banking, consulting and technology.

Extensive business and technology transformation experience with billion dollar programs of work.

Trusted presenter and media spokesperson – widely covered in conferences, radio, video, print, paper and online.

Published White Papers on my favourite topics - disruptive technology and their implications to business and society.

Produced by Rachel Morrissey, Senior Producer, Provoke Media

George Lawson's role at Ant Financial is to grow Alipay's ability to pay for goods and services in Australia.   Alipay, for those that don't know, is a lifestyle app with 520 million subscribers.  That's right-  520 million.  In China, it is almost difficult to get around without the app.  It is so ingrained as part of the lifestyle that it is used to pay for everything.  When people go to the market, the first thing they do is open Alipay.   While some would call it a payments app, that is only a fraction of what it does.  It is used throughout every financial transaction, from cabs and bike rentals, to knowing where the best deal is, to paying for dinner.

11/11, also known as Singles Day, is the equivalent of Black Friday in the US, but much much bigger.   Last year, Ali Pay processed $18 Billion USD on Singles Day.  This year, Ali Pay processed $7 Billion USD in the first 30 minutes.

Originally conceived as an escrow service, Alipay has exploded until it is completely integrated into the modern China.  It has built a network of trust among customers and merchants that enables commerce, frictionless payment, and frictionless information.

Alipay is a modern day behemoth, modeling the changes that are coming to consumer behavior, the payments industry, and global movement of money.

 

Produced by Rachel Morrissey, Senior Producer, Provoke Media

Dominic (Dom) Pym and Anson Parker set out to reboot banking.   Actually, to hear them tell it, they are not in banking-  they are a tech company.  They shun the name Neo-bank.  But, as they were looking to build a new company, they were working with banks and realized that banks needed a reboot.  And like most good entrepreneurs, they fixed the problem that was in front of them.

Hence, we have Alt -  a reboot, and alternative, a do-over- to the customer experience in banking.   If a bank has traditionally been a gym, Alt wants to redesign it for you to have the option of a personal trainer, to help you build wealth and make the most of your money.

Alt has a waiting list right now.  You can sign up here. 

Bios:

Dominic Pym has been involved in numerous start-ups and large scale Information Technology projects since the 90's, in Australia and overseas.

Currently working on launching Alt (alt.com.au), a digital alternative to your current bank, built from the ground up to help you spend wisely and save effortlessly.

Dominic is also a co-founder of Ferocia, an extraordinary technology team re-imagining Internet banking (launched in 2014 with Bendigo Bank https://demo.bendigobank.com.au), Pin Payments (Australia’s first all-in-one online payments platform) and Clear Interactive (acquired in 2009 by NZX, operators of the New Zealand Stock Exchange and electricity markets).

Anson Parker has  been working in the internet industry since 1996. Having battled on the front-lines in most areas of web production, he has found product management to be my true calling...

 

Produced by Rachel Morrissey, Senior Producer, Provoke Media

Many in the fintech industry believe that blockchain is overhyped, but Jason Potts, who has made it his life's work to study new technologies, actually believes it is under hyped and that it is a technology that changes the fundamental understanding of business and commercial interaction globally.

A month ago, he opened the Blockchain Innovation Hub, the first social science research institute on blockchain in the world.   Starting with the study of how blockchain will affect markets, there are rapid plans for expansion to study the many different applications that are possible with blockchain protocols, and what that will mean for the nature of work and the nature of business.

Blockchain may be the technology that actually matches the natural nature of decentralized markets, ending the need for a central point of validation, and creating a much less inhibited flow of capital.   Just as the internet changed the flow, nature, and control of information, the blockchain could do the same for money.   But unlike the critical thinking and extra validation measures you need to put into information on the internet, the blockchain's distributed ledger can act as a naturally incentivized, distributed, proof of validation.

It could change everything.  And probably will.

Jason Potts is Professor of Economics in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT University, and Director of the Blockchain Innovation Hub, the first social science research institute on Blockchain in the world.

In 2017, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia. Jason is one of Australia’s top economists, specialising in economic growth, innovation and institutions, as well as the theory of economic evolution and complexity. His work has been applied to the economics of creative industries, intellectual property, and cities, and to the study of common pool resources. He received the Australian Research Council's Future Fellowship, and was the youngest ever winner of the InternationalJoseph A. Schumpeter Prize.

He has written five books and published over 80 articles on these themes, and is a regular media commentator. He is currently the Vice-President of the International Joseph A. Schumpeter Society, an Adjunct Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, editor of the Cambridge Elements series on Evolutionary Economics, and editor of the Journal of Institutional Economics.

 

Produced by Rachel Morrissey, Senior Producer, Provoke Media

Lisa Schutz, CEO of Verifier, has lived the "data dream", at least as she sees it.    She sold her first data analytics company, InFact Decisions, which focused on the strategic uses of data, regardless of business issue or the industry.   But with Verifier, she has a different mission- to give the consumer more control over their information and to enable them to share it more seamlessly in the process of streamlining loan application.    Looking at data as a resource for the consumer, and empowering their use of it, could change the entire way we think of as verifiable identity.

 

Produced by Rachel Morrissey, Senior Producer, Provoke Media