Voice of FinTech®

Dr. Karen (PHD) Wendt, President of the Swiss FinTech Ladies, and Mahnoosh Mirghaemi, CEO and founder of Colivar, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about modern wealth management approaches, leveraging technology such as AI, catering specifically to underserved groups like women, and the role that SFTL plays in closing the gender wealth and investment gap.

Here is what they covered in more detail: 

• Mahnoosh, how are you today? Can you tell us about your entrepreneurial journey?
• What is Colivar? What is the problem you are trying to solve? What is the SFTL, and how is it connected to Colivar?
• What is Colivar's unique advantage?
• Tell us about the SFTL activities and events
• What’s your view on leveraging AI in Wealth Management, and what kind of AI?
• Wealth Management and Private Banking require increasingly high minimum scales to be viable. How do start-ups fit into this?
• Robo advisers had a lot of promise, but not many survived as standalone businesses. What is your view on this?
• What works for HNWI and UHNWI as opposed to retail and affluent clients?
• Where are you on your journey regarding product development, geographic reach, funding, and hiring? 
• What are the next steps for you this year and beyond? Customers, incumbents as partners, investors?
• Where can interested parties reach Karen and Mahnoosh: SFTL and Colivar, respectively.

Ennio Limbach – Brun del Re, founder and CEO of Zurichberg, an alternative investment and co-ownership platform focused on watches, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about why it is needed and how it works.

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• Ennio's journey towards building new products and businesses
• Why has he decided to start his own company
• What is Zurichberg? What is the problem that it is aiming to solve?
• What is their unique advantage? How is it different from other alternative investment platforms or watch co-ownership platforms?
• How they make money
• Target customers
• HQ in Zurich, Switzerland, and team
• Key milestones ahead
• Best way to get in toch: Ennio Limbach – Brun del Re (LinkedIn) or  Zurichberg (website)

In this episode of the Voice of FinTech, the MENA Series hosted by Dorra Mahbouli spoke to Hazim Sebbata, Cash Plus's Director General (DG), a prominent financial services company in Morocco. He plays a significant role in the company's operations, focusing on enhancing and diversifying the financial services available to Moroccans. Under his leadership, Cash Plus has introduced various innovative solutions, including a partnership with Mastercard to facilitate international online shopping for Moroccan users.

In addition to his role at Cash Plus, Sebbata is actively involved in the financial sector as the President of the Association Professionelle des Etablissements de Paiement (APEP), representing payment institutions in Morocco. His contributions to the industry emphasize the importance of innovation and digital transformation in financial services.

Before his tenure at Cash Plus, Sebbata's career included various roles within the financial industry, contributing to his extensive financial management and strategic planning expertise.   

Derrick Kinney, founder of Success For Advisors, Top Leadership Voice for financial advisors on LinkedIn, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about how financial advisors can grow their business.

Here is what they covered:

• Derrick's journey from financial advisor to leadership speaker and consultant
• What problem is Derrick helping financial advisors with, and why
• Some highlights of advice to financial advisors given by Derrick how to: 

1. Crush their revenue goals and build the business they've always wanted
2. Discover their generosity purpose, so they experience purpose and meaning in their lives
3. Become the sought-after specialist in their community by "owning a relatable problem."
4. Attract ideal prospects and high-quality referrals that are excited to work with them
5. Insulate client relationships from the competition

• They also discussed what's the best way to find HNWI client prospects today
• How to manage the conversion from a prospect to a client
• Derrick's thoughts on the retention of clients and managing churn
• How to reconcile financial advisors' goals and the suitability of financial products for their clients
• How to manage advisors' lives and careers and prevent burnout 
• Can you recommend a favorite business book or another resource for continuous learning? The Richest Man in Babylon
• The best way to reach out and find out more is to find Derrick Kinney on LinkedIn

Jim Tousignant, founder and CEO of FinTech Studios, an intelligent search company, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about making business information search more intelligent and efficient.

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• Jim's entrepreneurial journey
• Many people recently opened up to AI with the advent of GenAI. But AI has been with us for much longer, right? Why has GenAI, in particular, gained such traction?
• Jim founded several businesses; his latest venture is FinTech Studios. What problem is FinTech Studios solving, and why is it worth solving? What is their solution and unique selling point? 
• Who are FinTech Studios' key clients? What are the case studies for the successful implementation of your solution?
• What’s the technology angle? What kind of AI are we talking about?
• How do FinTech Studios navigate the unique risks that GenAI poses, e.g., misinformation or disinformation?
• What’s Jim's estimate of GenAI’s impact on the job market: what types of work will be replaced or significantly altered by this groundbreaking technology?
• What are the milestones Fintech Studios wants to achieve next?
• Favorite business book: Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs
• What’s the best way to reach out? https://www.fintechstudios.com 

In this episode of the Voice of FinTech, the MENA Series hosted by Dorra Mahbouli spoke to Grace Ge from Publicis Sapient, a consulting firm.

Grace is a Senior Principal of Publicis Sapient's Strategy and Management Consulting practice, active worldwide, including in MENA. 

She specializes in advising Financial Services firms and, in particular, incumbent and mid-market banks on Digital Transformation topics, including core modernization and adoption of AI/GenAI. Grace leads the ‘Women’s Initiative’ within the global Strategy and Management Consulting practice at Publicis Sapient. Before this, she was with McKinsey. She lives with her husband and three children outside of London in Kent, United Kingdom.

Join us for a reality check: FinTech promise vs. reality over the last five years for a 5th Anniversary Special, live from Money2020 Europe, where Voice of FinTech founder Rudolf Falat spoke to Micky Tesfaye, Content Lead at Money2020.

Here is what they discussed in more detail:

• A customer universe of one: customer centricity, hyper-personalization, AI, and automation. Customer centricity is no longer only a North Star aspirational goal but an absolute must for everyone
• No longer chasing growth at any cost - marketplaces and profitability
• Sustainable growth and sustainable finance
• Are ESG ratings useful? Need to integrate climate and social responsibility into their everyday actions, beyond using buzzwords to impress. ClimateTech funding is still strong, and sustainability to stay, but need to be backed up with tangible results
• Crypto and blockchain - where is more traction?

Patrick Gauthier, Group CEO, Director & Chair Convera USA, Director and Chair Convera Europe Financial S.A., spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about helping SMEs manage cross-border payments and more.

Here is what they covered in more detail:

• Patrick, as a key figure in the payments sector, could you share your professional journey and how it led you to your current role at Convera?
• What problem are you solving at Convera, and why is it worth solving? Why are B2B payments special, and why they have been slower to innovate
• How do B2B cross-border payment needs for SMEs differ from individuals or large corporations? How can you help? 
• Who are your key clients?
• Which supporting technologies do you see as most promising for the payments sector? 
• What’s your technology angle, or do you have more brilliant engineers than other players?
• Do you see real-time payments on the rise in the coming years? How are they relevant for B2B transactions? Will there be no more trade credit? 
• Looking ahead, what are the key milestones that Convera aims to achieve in the near future, and how do you plan to reach them?
• Favorite business book: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap & Others Don't by Jim Collins
• What’s the best way to reach out: Patrick Gauthier on LinkedIn 

Hana Rolles, CEO of Paynetics UK, spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about B2B payments, embedded finance, and more.

Here is what they covered in more detail: 

• Hana's journey from an incumbent (VISA) to a start-up (Paynetics)
• Why are B2B payments special, and how do they fit into Embedded Finance world
• What is Paynetics' solution, and what is unique about it? Where do they sit compared to the classic four-party card payment ecosystem?
• Key clients
• Technology angle
• Will we see digital payments and e-commerce on the rise in the coming years?
• Which supporting technologies do you see as most promising for the payments sector? Digital identity, blockchain, crypto, instant payments and more
• Key milestones ahead of Paynetics
• What's your favorite business book? What Got You Here Won't GetWon'tThere: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
• How to reach out: check out Hana Rolles on LinkedIn.

Sarah Biller, co-founder of Fintech Sandbox, VC investor and board member and American Banker Top 20 Most Influential Women in Fintech,
spoke to Rudolf Falat, founder of the Voice of FinTech podcast, about data accessibility and how her initiative, Fintech Sandbox, helps.

Sarah talked about her journey and how she got involved in the start-up ecosystem. During the podcast, she provided an overview of  Vantage Ventures and Fintech Sandbox, including what sets them apart and their unique focuses. She also covered her key themes for investing and helping to build businesses: financial inclusion, diversity, and digital identity. Sarah also shared her best tips for entrepreneurs to grow their companies. Further, Sarah also explained why data accessibility is crucial for scaling up FinTechs and how Fintech Sandbox helps.

• Favorite book: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
• The best way to reach out: check out Sarah Biller on LinkedIn