In this episode of Kidbrooke Insights, we explore one of the most important shifts happening across the UAE and the wider Middle East: the transition from traditional end-of-service benefits (EOSB) toward modern, long-term group pension and savings solutions.

The UAE region is undergoing a pivotal reform moment. As employers move away from lump-sum gratuity payouts, insurers and financial institutions are now being asked to deliver sustainable, flexible retirement solutions that support long-term financial wellbeing, for both expat and local employees.

To unpack the opportunities and challenges ahead, Natalie Burke is joined by two industry experts:

• Adil Saghir, Head of Savings & Pensions at HAYAH Insurance
• Erik Brodin, Product Expert at Kidbrooke

Together, they break down what’s happening across group pensions in the UAE, from the impact of the EOSB reform to how digital tools and financial wellness initiatives are shaping engagement.  They also share real lessons from the field, along with how technology and analytics are helping insurers bring new solutions to market faster. 

Whether you're an insurer, group benefits provider, policy maker, or HR leader, this episode offers practical insights into how the UAE’s pension landscape is evolving, and also what will distinguish the market leaders over the next 3–5 years.

Resources & Links:

To learn more about Kidbrooke, visit: https://kidbrooke.com

To learn more about Hayah Insurance, visit: https://hayah.com

Blog references:  Life by Kidbrooke: The Employee Benefits Platform for a Post-Gratuity World - Kidbrooke Blog

Research Spotlight: The Digital Future of UAE Group Pensions After the End of Service Gratuity Reform - Kidbrooke Blog

For inquiries: [email protected]

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In this episode of Kidbrooke’s Insights Podcast, host Natalie Burke sits down with CEO Fredrik Davéus to explore Kate by Kidbrooke®, a GenAI-powered solution designed to support financial institutions beyond the chatbot hype.

They unpack:

• The story behind Kate and why it was built
• How Kate combines generative AI with deterministic financial models for reliable automation
• Use cases across compliance, client engagement, and advisor efficiency
• What sets Kate apart in transparency, auditability, and back-office transformation
• The realities of AI adoption in finance today, plus what’s on the horizon 

Whether you're an innovator, advisor, or tech leader in financial services, this conversation is brimming with insights on the future of AI-powered decision support.

 📘 Related case studies discussed/articles:

Beyond Automation: AI in Financial Advice That Works With, Not Instead of, Your Advisors – Kidbrooke

Smarter AI Customer Support for Financial Services – Kidbrooke

Introducing Kate – Intelligent Financial Conversations Powered by KidbrookeONE  – Kidbrooke

We're back in action for episode 17 of the Kidbrooke Insights Podcast! 😊

Join Natalie and Zaliia as they unpack the key trends shaping the financial industry in 2025. 

Starting with the ongoing geopolitical tensions, particularly between the US and China, driving global uncertainty and economic volatility. We explore the significant demographic changes; creating a higher demand for retirement planning, as well as emerging markets facing challenges around employment and financial inclusion.

The conversation turns to AI’s growing role in wealth management, highlighting how generative AI and large language models (LLMs) are transforming client interactions through personalised, intuitive digital experiences. We look at the importance of structured financial models to ensure reliability, mitigate risks, and maintain client trust.

Lastly, Natalie and Zaliia unpack Gen Z’s investment habits, their expectation for authenticity, digital-first experiences and the rising trend of “finfluencers”. We discuss the growing emphasis on transparency, especially for investors prioritising authentic ESG commitments.

Tune in as Natalie and Zaliia discuss these fascinating shifts shaping the future of the financial industry. 

Links:

https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2024/11/18/the-three-forces-that-will-shape-2025

https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/10/21/wealth-management-trends-to-watch-in-2025/ 

https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/dependency-and-depopulation-confronting-the-consequences-of-a-new-demographic-reality

https://kidbrooke.com/2024/12/12/navigating-the-promise-and-perils-of-generative-ai-in-wealth-management/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kolawolesamueladebayo/2025/01/20/experts-predict-the-bubble-may-burst-for-ai-in-2025/

https://www.thetimes.com/article/5614dab0-5632-11e9-a8f5-a9ee11ff7e6d

https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/06/21/how-esg-became-part-of-americas-culture-wars

https://kidbrooke.com/2024/09/20/fund-information-review-2024-sweden/

https://www.ey.com/en_pk/newsroom/2024/12/investors-shun-long-term-esg-rewards-in-quest-for-short-term-gains

In our latest episode, Edvard Sjögren, Head of Quantitative Analytics at Kidbrooke, dives into the emerging field of sustainability reporting and analytics. Learn how Kidbrooke is integrating ESG considerations into financial decision-making, helping clients to navigate the complexities of sustainability reporting and strategic planning.

Key Topics include:

• Data Management and Reporting: Understanding the impact of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and its challenges.
• Economic Scenarios with Climate Scenarios: Progress and areas for improvement in managing and integrating sustainability data.
• Portfolio Analytics and Sustainability Profiling: How to enable your clients to determine their customers’ attitudes to sustainability, and how Kidbrooke’s solutions aid companies in aligning with EU Taxonomy and the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).
• The Future of Sustainability in Economic Analysis: Balancing engagement and value in financial services.
• Real-Life Applications: Successful implementation stories of Kidbrooke’s analytics suite.

This episode is packed with insights on how advanced analytics and sustainability data can revolutionise financial services, ensuring transparency, accountability, and strategic alignment with environmental goals.

Links:

Episde 7: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Cj7ALWEovzK5iyTTZDWHW?si=aafcc2bea4b84dd4

EIOPA document referred to: https://www.eiopa.europa.eu/document/download/5af50854-02d9-4f74-b4fa-f0a1edea2a3e_en?filename=Guidance%20on%20the%20integration%20of%20customers%27%20sustainability%20preferences%20under%20IDD.pdf)

For this episode we tuned in to a recent webinar we hosted interviewing our CEO, Fredrik Daveus, as he discussed the transition from conventional Excel-based analytics to unified analytical platforms within the financial industry. We dived into the lifecycle of analytical needs within financial institutions, highlighting the journey from Excel-based solutions for problem-solving to the critical point where these solutions become both a vital asset but also a potential risk due to operational vulnerabilities, critical person dependence and inherent limitations of spreadsheets.   

Discover how KidbrookeONE, our comprehensive analytical platform, improves financial data management and analysis processes, offering a more scalable and efficient solution.  Learn how KidbrookeONE's versatile APIs can elevate your financial institution's approach to analytics in different stages of data readiness, ensuring consistency and reducing the risks associated with manual Excel models.   

We hope you enjoy the listen and, if you did, please do not forget to subscribe to our newsletter via Kidbrooke.com and follow us on LinkedIn or any of our other social media channels to stay updated.  

For this episode we're thrilled to have Fredrik Daveus, CEO of Kidbrooke, delve into the pivotal role of market data aggregation and investment product universe management in the digitalisation of financial institutions.

In This Episode:

• We explore the strategic development of larger financial institutions within the digital transformation landscape.
• We uncover how Kidbrooke’s clients are overcoming data challenges, enhancing investment decision-making, and meeting the dynamic needs of their operations and customers.

Whether you're a finance professional aiming to understand the nuances of digital transformation or simply interested in the future of financial technology, this podcast offers valuable insights into managing market data and your investment product universe effectively.

Links/Source material:

Podcast: Zooming in on Sustainability Reporting and its Role in Changing the Industry for the Better

Blog: A Step Towards Data Readiness: Improving Financial Data Aggregation

Dive into the world of asset management with Episode 13 of Kidbrooke's Insights Podcast!

Join expert guests, Hans Sterte, an experienced Swedish economist with an impressive track record in asset management, and our CEO Fredrik Daveus, as they explore the latest trends in the dynamic asset management field.

Discover the cutting-edge tools and methodologies used in the industry,  how it adapts to the political and economic instability of the modern world, the evolution of ALM strategies and the ongoing transition to more modern solutions within the function.

We delve into managing risks, diversification strategies, and the impact of ESG reporting evolution on insurers and their asset management practices.

Grab your coffee and tune in now!

Links mentioned below:

In this twelfth episode of Kidbrooke's Insights Podcast, Zaliia Gindullina, Head of Business Development, and marketing expert Natalie Burke welcome Celina Borg from Wellfish, a sustainability advisor based in Stockholm. The conversation dives deep into sustainability reporting's evolution, impact, and future trends in wealth and investment management.

They discuss the challenges of sustainability data in the past, elaborate on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and consider the significance of sustainability reporting in effecting tangible change in the business environment. The conversation evolves to encompass technology, specifically how Wellfish aids enterprises in automating sustainability reporting using financial reporting. 

The dialogue continues on wealth and investment managers' approach to sustainability, incorporating factors into investment decisions, and adapting economic scenario generators to reflect climate change impact on economies. 

Celina underscores collaborations with accounting firms, enhancing the value of Wellfish's deliverables, as well as the complexities of assessing sustainability performance, highlighting the challenges in balancing bottom-up and top-down analysis to prevent greenwashing.

The blend of experiences, insights, and future prospects in sustainability reporting showcases its growing significance in reshaping the wealth and investment management landscape.

https://finance.ec.europa.eu/capital-markets-union-and-financial-markets/company-report[…]ng/company-reporting/corporate-sustainability-reporting_en

For this episode we thought you would really enjoy listening into a recent webinar collaboration we did with Goodacre UK, who are a leading specialist business and technology consultancy working exclusively with regulated companies and suppliers in the Financial Services sector.    

The topic of this webinar is Democratising Financial Advice: How HAYAH Insurance Leverages Financial Analytics to Provide Personalized Service at Scale.  HAYAH Insurance, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, is among the UAE’s most dynamic insurance pioneers specialising in life and medical insurance and savings products.   

Listen in as David Howard, Head of Strategy and Digital Transformation at HAYAH Insurance, Erik Brodin, Partner and Product expert at Kidbrooke and Stephen Pinner, Managing Director at Goodacre UK, delve into how HAYAH Insurance built their innovative financial planning journeys using Kidbrooke's cutting-edge financial simulation engine.    

Learn more about the challenges and opportunities of building and running a digital-first investment guidance business, the role of financial simulation and forecasting in delivering a superior customer experience and why it is so critical to generating demand for financial services in the future. 

Enjoy!

For our (small) milestone 10th episode, we delve into ways businesses can maintain customer engagement throughout their financial journeys. 

Our conversation highlights the shift toward digital financial management and the incorporation of gamification to make investing more approachable. While gamification has gained traction, it  has also sparked debates due to concerns about its impact on decision-making and risk assessment. We emphasize the importance of responsible engagement practices, discussing how gamification can strike a balance between enhancing financial literacy and potentially leading customers astray. 

We also showcase the role of advanced analytics in creating personalized financial experiences, from pre-purchase engagement, where digital calculators and simulations help customers grasp the value of services; to post-purchase engagement, where ongoing support and tailored recommendations nurture long-term relationships. 

Links:
https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/gamification.asp#

https://kidbrooke.com/knowledge-base/skandia-case-study-pioneering-seamless-digital-wealth/

https://kidbrooke.com/knowledge-base/skandia-building-channel-agnostic-wealth-experiences/

https://kidbrooke.com/blog/enhance-mutual-fund-grouping-using-machine-learning/