Converge

Converge

By ConveraBusiness
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Converge episodes

  • Converge Market Update: Macro data in focus with central bank meetings around the corner

    This week, in a window of ~60 hours, policy will be set for 60% of the global economy.

    Gear up for the last important week of the year when the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of England set policy on Wednesday and Thursday. Convera global macro strategist, Boris Kovacevic, breaks down the possibilities ahead, with an eye on what the macro data is telling us.

    We cover:

    • How many basis points the ECB, Fed and BoE might cut rates next year.
    • Why investors are expecting all central banks to push back against aggressive easing bets until the meetings early next year.
    • The single most important thing or data point that Boris is looking out for at the three meetings.
    • And much more

    • Disclaimer: Converge is Convera’s new podcast that discusses a range of financial services topics. We want to remind our listeners that the information shared on this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Please note that the opinions expressed on Converge are solely the opinions of the host and the guests, not Convera’s.

      11 min
    • A new era of open banking with John Pitts, Head of Policy at Plaid

      In October, the CFPB proposed a rule that would accelerate a shift toward open banking, giving consumers more control over their data and bolstering competition for banks and fintechs to up their game.

      Plaid, the open banking pioneer that seamlessly connects fintechs and services with banks, has been a key player in this evolution. And now that income and employment data is much more integrated into Plaid services, the company believes a new era with even less friction and greater protection has arrived.

      Hear from John Pitts, Head of Policy at Plaid and former CFPB employee, as he discusses these exciting advancements as well as potential hurdles ahead in the open banking revolution, the inevitable (healthy) tension between governments and fintechs, the promise of both retail and wholesale real time payments, and the latest developments at Plaid as they further solidify their role in a more open era of banking.


      19 min
    • Converge Market Update: A November to remember as the best month for risk assets of the year

      We're kicking off our new bi-weekly market and macroeconomic update series with a bang. Hear from Global Macro Analyst Boris Kovacevic on why November is shaping up to be the best month for risk assets this year as investors have priced in expectations for a major central bank pivot.

      In our latest global macro podcast, we distill the recent market moves and set out our thesis for why we are anticipating a macro interest rate regime shift going into 2024.

      We'll cover:

      1. The incoming macro interest rate regime shift

      2. Why the dollar is on track for its best month this year

      3. Why US bonds are set to surge the most since 2008

      4. Why markets may be priced for a soft landing and Fed rate cuts

      Disclaimer: Converge is Convera’s new podcast that discusses a range of financial services topics. We want to remind our listeners that the information shared on this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Please note that the opinions expressed on Converge are solely the opinions of the host and the guests, not Convera’s.

      20 min
    • Financial fairness: betting on fintech for an inclusive future with Nicole Casperson and Naré Vardanyan⁠

      Can financial fairness and inclusivity go hand in hand with profitability?

      Many often say inclusivity is hard, inclusivity isn't profitable, but in reality, it's one of the strongest core pillars around which to build a business and drive growth. Automation and AI are casting a more inclusive, wider net through technology in financial services, unlocking opportunities in lending, banking and payments that were not available historically.

      Emerging fintechs are raising the bar for banks and pushing the whole industry to serve more people, unlocking new markets and talent. But challenges remain, and the latest technologies like generative and explainable AI must prove that with radical speed and efficiency, compliance and security can also keep pace.

      Naré Vardanyan is the co-founder of Ntropy, a financial data standardization and enrichment API seeking to use Large language models (LLMs) to transform the “behind the scenes” of money and unlock opportunity. Nicole Casperson is the founder of Fintech is Femme, a women-in-fintech-focused weekly newsletter with 30k+ readers, and host of the Humans of Fintech podcast, with over 50,000 subscribers and listeners. She was named one of the most inspiring women in the fintech industry in 2022.





      31 min
    • How cloud-based ecosystems are driving B2B innovation in fintech

      B2B financial services are at an inflection point; business infrastructure is moving to the cloud, but financial services are lagging: they are fragmented, run on legacy tech, and lack scale and resiliency.

      At the nexus of driving this necessary change are integrated ecosystems of fintechs and financial cloud services providers offering businesses and financial institutions a ‘one-stop shop’ in emerging technologies for payment processing, data tokenization, AI/ML capabilities and much more - providing greater transparency, resiliency, speed, and scale.

      In the next phase of fintech innovation, API-enabled cloud B2B payment platforms will shape new ecosystems and bring together payments, risk, and cash management capabilities under one umbrella.

      Being cloud-native matters for ecosystems: They enable full customer lifecycle management with common experience across transactions, support, chat and telephony - all native on the cloud.

      Cloud-native B2B payments ecosystems will have access to a plethora of innovation in tokenization, payments, and AI/ML. Learn how these ecosystems will leverage Explainable-AI (XAI) and Generative AI alongside the “white box” requirements for the compliance and regulatory standards that must be upheld within our industry.

      Join Dharmesh Syal, Chief Technology Officer at Convera, Mick Fennel, Head of Payments EU for Temenos, and Nilesh Dusane, Head of Intuitional Payments for AWS as they discuss this massive value creation opportunity.

      30 min
    • New rails to new worlds: Building inclusive, innovative infrastructures for global payments

      A panel of exceptional female leaders discuss what is being done on the ground in some of the most systemically important institutions and emerging fintechs (Swift, Convera, Ripple and Citi) to shape and implement next gen cross-border payments infrastructures.

      How are instant and real time payments operating now, and how will they in the future? How are targets set by the G20 for adoption of new technologies as well as ISO20022 influencing the technology roadmaps of global organizations in 2023 and beyond? How has Swift positioned itself as the ‘messenger of the future? And what does the likes of Citi’s Regulated Liability Network mean for the future of inter-bank cross border transactions?

      Now more than ever, responsible B2B payments innovation is needed while maintaining speed to market and the willingness to think big for customers.  
       
      Join Jennifer Parker, CCO of Convera, Kalyani Bhatia, Global Head of Payments & PMI for Swift, Ryan Rugg, Head of Digital Assets, Citi TTS and Pegah Soltani, Head of Payment Products, Ripple, as they discuss this and the impact female leaders have had in moving the needle towards more meaningful innovation in finance and payments. 

      Disclaimer: Converge is Convera’s new podcast that discusses a range of financial services topics. We want to remind our listeners that the information shared on this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Please note that the opinions expressed on Converge are solely the opinions of the host and the guests, not Convera’s.

      37 min
    • Perception vs. reality: Who "wins" in the future of cross border payments?

      Who will capture the most value in the cross-border payments ecosystem in the coming years? With new emphasis on instant payments and emerging rails, who stands to win the war for market share, and what models/protocols will be at the nexus of the new era? How do non-banks view this change and the opportunity ahead vs. the big banks and incumbent payment providers? Is “Coopetition” the new reality and interoperability the key to winning business? Where are the opportunities and where must businesses focus on winning in the next 5 years?  

      This live panel from Money2020 in Las Vegas is guest hosted by David Birch, of Consult Hyperion, and features Jody Visser, COO of Convera, Rich Clow, SVP Emerging Payments for Bank of America, Pankaj Sharma, Head of Remittances at Remitly, and Tom Dye, Managing Director & Partner for Payments, Boston Consulting Group.

      Disclaimer: Converge is Convera’s new podcast that discusses a range of financial services topics. We want to remind our listeners that the information shared on this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Please note that the opinions expressed on Converge are solely the opinions of the host and the guests, not Convera’s.

      32 min
    • Are You Ready for 2024? Convera's annual macroeconomic outlook

      Get your full copy of the report, here:

      Are you ready for 2024? | Convera
      Join Head of Market Insights Steve Dooley as he shares a taste of the 2024 edition of Convera's annual flagship report to help businesses navigate what promises to be yet another uncertain and volatile year ahead, both geopolitically and macroeconomically.

      Get the full report at the link above to learn more on:

      • How cross-border trade will be impacted by diverging interest rates 
      • How the global bond and equity market will shift  
      • The impact of tighter credit conditions on housing markets 
      • The immediate future of global trade wars and supply chain de-risking
      • The effect of 2024 elections on the geopolitical landscape 
      • Considerations in new FX risk-management trends

      • Disclaimer: Converge is Convera’s new podcast that discusses a range of financial services topics. We want to remind our listeners that the information shared on this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Please note that the opinions expressed on Converge are solely the opinions of the host and the guests, not Convera’s.

        26 min
      • Bridging the way to a multi-CBDC world: Daniel Eidan of the Bank for International Settlements

        Also known as "the central bank of banks," the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has been guiding and influencing the world's largest financial institutions for decades. Their new innovation hub has taken a central role in exploring new technologies, #CBDCs among them, that bring "benefits that can lead to faster, cheaper and more transparent payments across borders." However, the BIS notes that "questions remain unanswered related to policy considerations, legal and regulatory frameworks, and basic operational economics that might call into question the viability of multi-CBDC platforms.” 

        Join Money2020's Micky Tesfaye and Daniel Eidan,

        Advisor & Solution Architect at the Bank for International Settlements' Innovation Hub, as we discuss the BIS' ongoing work with central banks to address pain points unique to cross-border payments, the role of bridge currencies and digital assets, regulations and regional challenges, and much more.


        Disclaimer: Converge is Convera’s new podcast that discusses a range of financial services topics. We want to remind our listeners that the information shared on this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Please note that the opinions expressed on Converge are solely the opinions of the host and the guests, not Convera’s.

        46 min
      • When milliseconds matter: Preventing fraud in an instant payment world

        Sardine, "a behavior-infused platform that offers fraud prevention, compliance (KYC/AML), and payments solutions for various industries," is tackling fraud in progressive ways using their intuitive API that can detect nuances of fraudulent activity with advanced AI. And with the momentum fueling real-time payment growth, faster payments can equal faster fraud, requiring new tools to detect and thwart disaster for financial institutions experimenting with new technologies. AI tools will inevitably play a big role in mitigating fraud - yet they also serve the interests of criminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities.


        Sardine CEO Soups Ranjan joins Converge to discuss the types of fraud that continue to impact the industry, as well as newer fraud risks that all companies should be on the lookout for - with an eye to emerging technologies standing at the ready to help.


        Learn more about Sardine X.

        27 min

      About Converge

      From the publisher's feed

      Converge is your biweekly source for expert insights into global foreign exchange markets. Each episode breaks down what’s driving currency movements, why it matters, and how your business can respond with confidence.