Digital Dump

"I never lose... I either win or learn!"

Steven and Kate had the pleasure of interviewing Christine Kiefer, Co-Founder of Ride Capital on Digital Dump.

Christine studied Computer Sciences and Economics.  She was part of a small minority of women at the time, but had a great deal of support from her family. CK worked in Software(TMobile), Consulting (Bain) and Banking (Goldman), after trying all 3 it was time for Fintech! In order to make the transition easier, Christine began with a  finance related fintech, Billpay. In 2018, she founded Ride Capital. This is a fintech, looking to serve the space between HIGH net worth and retail... in other words the HENRYs = High Earners Not Rich Yet!

She and her colleagues found that there was / is a real void in knowledge re e.g., tax law or trading opportunities. How is regulation shaping and driving fintechs? Is collaboration really key? AND will Christine's next move be to go into politics?

Tune in and find the answers to these questions and so much more!

Steven and Kate were excited to speak with Jürgen Schmitt, Expedition Finance, Deutsche Bank.

Jürgen’s background is trading, but when that door closed a whole new world opened!

Jürgen admitted to us that he unfortunately does not have a Crystal Ball but tries to choose forward looking themes that can be of interest to his audience.  The presentation of his film clips are on social media, especially favoring LinkedIn. Presenting the Megatrends throughout the bank takes quite a lot of research and preparation but it is worth it.

How does Jürgen see artificial intelligence supporting the financial industry? What role will the Metaverse play? AND what advise does this wise, bearded man give to beginners in the financial services industry?

Tune in and find out the answers to these questions and so much more.

Martin Runow, Global Head of Payments and Digital at Barclays Corporate Bank joined Kate Pohl and Steven Batiste for this episode of Digital Dump.

Martin talked about the joys - and challenges - of his position and how rewarding it was to put so many aspects of banking together! We discussed the ups and downs of working closely with fintechs, however giving banks the option to collaborate instead of just make or buy. For Martin, two of the key technologies to leverage are APIs and Cloud.

It is clear that Retail and Wholesale banking are taking different product paths in certain instances according to Martin.

Are Instant Payments the “Next Big Thing” for Wholesale Banking? What role can Biometrics play? What words of wisdom does Martin have for new joiners? Spoiler alert, it includes the word “fun”!

Find the answers to these and many other questions by tuning in!

Today Steven Batiste and Kate Pohl had a conversation with Dr. Markus Weiss, Director and Member of the Geschaeftsleitung of Strategy&.

Markus revealed that he received his PhD in Information Management investigating innovative business models which, at the time, meant understanding and applying new and cutting edge technology to create e.g. the IoT.

Our main focus today was indeed what can be done to improve the KYC process for banks and corporates!

KYC remains a MAJOR dilemma for FIs and enterprises today. Markus discussed centralized as well as decentralized methodologies.  In decentralized applications data stays with the corporation and can be shared with banks. We discussed the role of service providers and of course regulators whose support is vital.

What countries are at the forefront of this initiative? Can technology help?

To hear the details and find out how to better tackle this subject, tune in and find the answers to some of the questions you have been afraid to ask.

Steven Batiste and Kate Pohl had the pleasure of interviewing Ulf Henning Jacobs, Partner of d-fine this week.

Ulf talked about technology explaining that change and development are key, but the “benefits” are in the eye of the beholder.  When asked about key technologies going forward, Ulf focused on Quantum Computing (when QC becomes mainstream blockchains and Bitcoin might no longer be safe!) and Autonomous Systems. AI won’t change everything, says Ulf, but it is an important additional tool. AI will not replace experience.

What are the key use cases for AI? Is collaboration possible between banks and fintechs? Has our guest ordered a category 3 car so he can eat, drink and read the paper while driving on the Autobahn?

Tune in to find the answers to these questions and so much more!

Steven and Kate were very pleased to welcome Oliver Sopp, Regional Sales Director, DACH at Mambu, to our Podcast!

Oliver talked about the vision and goals of Mambu. He emphasized that true collaboration and support of each other is a recipe for success in this global company. Time to market is becoming ever more important. Oliver explained that the key ingredients to achieve this are flexibility, speed, and composability! A great customer experience coupled with an ecosystem of best-of-breed products and services will be the future.

Is Mambu the right partner for both incumbents and neo banks? What technologies does Oliver feel will be important going forward?  Do banks have a future in the metaverse?

Tune in and find out the answers to these questions and so much more!

Kate Pohl, @Traxpay, and Steven Batiste, @TIS had the great pleasure of speaking with Frank Riemensperger, Digital Strategist, Board Member, and Former Senior MD at Accenture.

Frank describes the early days of computer science over 35 years ago and his decision to join Andersen Consulting.  For Frank, the digital transformation was something that he was involved in, right from the beginning of his career in the 80s. It started with a project to create and digitalize a platform for the Frankfurt Options and Futures Stock Exchange. Frank feels that the Cloud has been a real game-changer and certainly not only due to hardware and storage capabilities. He says that Web 3.0 will – and should be - key for our Digital future.

The pandemic was a global wake-up call, will digital bioengineering be next? Please tune in to hear about these topics and sooo much more.

Steven Batiste and Kate Pohl had the pleasure to interview Laura Wirtz, Lead Daily Banking and Payments for ING Germany.

Laura discussed her background with us including why she gravitated towards banking and continues to enjoy the color orange.

Laura spent most of her career in international wholesale banking. In 2015 she switched roles and became business manager to the CEO of ING Germany, followed by her promotion to lead Strategy and Business Development for the bank. Recently, Laura has taken on a large and challenging assignment in the retail payments world for ING in Germany.

Laura complimented neo banks on their success in the area of customer experience. In this case, she believes that imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery😊. Laura understands that being challenged and at times “uncomfortable” paves the way for innovation. What roles do agile and new ways of working play in the success of payments at ING? Was there a silver lining to the pandemic?

How is Laura able to balance a demanding career with children and family life?

Tune in to find the answers to these questions and so much more!

Steven and Kate had the pleasure to interview Marco Hinz, COO of CrossLend this week.

Marco explained that he has always been involved in B2B technology, however never in banking… until CrossLend! He explained that CrossLend bridges the gap from the “capital markets” world to the “real world”. They are able to take some of the cost and friction out of lending! We discussed the concept of embedded finance and “being at the point of the business, the point of the demand”.

Marco believes in experimentation and is not afraid to fail with his motto being: “Let us try this.” Certainly, AI is critical for this business going forward, but do we need blockchain? Do Lego blocks really have something to do with banking? And even more importantly how do you play TETRIS with your Dishwasher? 

Tune in to find the answers to these questions and so much more!

Steven Batiste and Kate Pohl had an interesting and lively conversation with Sebastian Schaefer, MD and Co-Founder of the TechQuartier.

When asked why the TechQuartier had been located in Frankfurt, Sebastian explained that the city has so much to offer; it is a vibrant and truly international city. The pandemic was a turning point for the TQ as they were forced to add activities while translating physical programs into digital offerings. However, the TQ was always open during the last 2 years and really provided a safe Haven for its members. Sebastian feels strongly that tech should serve society and not the other way around. What technologies does he feel will gain in importance over the next 3 years?

Is data really the key? Are Sebastian and his colleagues satisfied with the results of the last few years?

Tune in and find out!