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Part 2 with Eric Bierry goes deeper into the human side of leadership and the future of banking. From an open reflection on his conversations with a building society at an SBS Connect event, to sharing an old personal dream, Eric reveals more of the person behind the CEO. He also opens up about the US market opportunity with Axway, looks back on the history of the SBS Summit, and even drops a teaser about its upcoming 5th edition this autumn. Don’t miss Part 2 of this special two-part conversation.

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"A good leader, I found really quickly, was somebody that was willing to take on the accountability of the decision made, right or wrong, but to allow their team to make the decision. So to push the power down, to say, empower people at the lowest level that you can possibly empower them and push as much decision making as you possibly can to the front line of your organization."

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"You can’t create a product that truly resonates with the market by sitting in a room and simply dreaming it up. If you look at history, many successful startups began because the founder faced a real problem, realized others faced the same challenge, and set out to solve it—that’s how great companies are born. But often, their second product fails because they assume they can innovate in isolation, without engaging with the market or understanding real-world pain points. For a company like ours, it’s critical to deeply understand these challenges—what keeps the CTO awake at night. Only then can we create meaningful solutions. But we can’t do that in a vacuum."

Andrew Steadman, Chief Product Officer at SBS

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"One piece of financial advice I wish more people followed is never pay cash for a new car. They're fantastic financial products, leasing and in the UK PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) where you can get a new car with a much lower payment and you don't have to pay for the depreciation of the asset. I would never advise anyone to buy a new car with cash."

What do leaders truly want? In this episode of What Leaders Want, we’re sitting down with James Powell, Chief SaaS Transformation Officer and Head of Specialized Finance Strategy at SBS, to get a glimpse beyond the job title.

We’ll dive into the key moments of his career, debunk the biggest myths about specialized finance, and explore whether SaaS is truly the game-changer it claims to be. James also took on real-world challenges and rapid-fire questions, answering on the spot.

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"When it comes to Gen AI, we can explore some truly fun and disruptive use cases. Ultimately, the banking experience isn’t isolated from the experiences users have with platforms like Netflix. Once disruption happens in one sector, customers begin to expect the same level of seamless, intelligent service everywhere—including in banking. I’m confident we’re heading in that direction."

Looking ahead, Xavier is confident that banking is shifting toward AI-driven personalization, subscription-based services, seamless digital experiences, and embedded finance—and he’s excited about the opportunities this transformation brings to the industry.

From a leadership perspective, he highlights the importance of continuous learning and shared success. In such a fast-evolving industry, he credits his team's support as a key factor in his journey to where he is today.

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"Listening to clients is key. In our world, we tend to make a lot of assumptions — we think we know what they want. But it’s not about thinking; it’s about asking. It’s like any relationship, even with your partner. Sometimes, you just have to ask directly: Are you happy? Unhappy? Clients will usually tell you. And when they do, you can address it."

From Africa to Europe, Raouf brings over 30 years of experience in the software industry — and a fresh perspective on finance as CCO at SBS.

When he took on the role, his financial knowledge didn’t go beyond his monthly bank statement. Four years later, he’s not only passionate about the sector, but deeply committed to making financial services a force for good.

In this episode, Raouf shares how he keeps clients happy, his bold vision for financial inclusion, and why it matters to him that everyone — especially the unbanked — has equal access to money. Because, for Raouf, finance should help improve lives.

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"Si j’ai un enseignement à partager, c’est l’importance de réaliser un projet qui nous tient à cœur, que ce soit dans notre vie professionnelle ou personnelle : c'est une expérience qui marque pour la vie."

Cécile a construit son parcours autour de trois domaines principaux : le commerce, le marketing et la finance. Son expérience s’est forgée dans divers écosystèmes, du luxe au textile, en passant par l'high tech jusqu'aux services financiers. Elle a ainsi tracé un fil rouge dans sa carrière, alliant data, technologie et marchés de niche.

Devenue manager très tôt, Cécile a choisi de réinventer régulièrement son parcours, changeant de poste et d’univers tous les cinq ans. Ce cheminement l'a menée à son rôle actuel de Directrice Générale chez Inovatic. Elle a également exploré l'entrepreneuriat en créant une startup dans le domaine de la santé, une aventure qui l’a profondément marquée.

Aujourd’hui, Cécile partage avec nous les enseignements qu’elle a tirés de son parcours, ainsi que les rôles modèles qui continuent de l'inspirer.

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"No matter how good you are at what you do, you always need someone who believes in you and gives you the opportunity to grow and take the next step."

While he aspired to a role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), his career took a decisive turn when a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) offered him the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at just 32 years old. Since then, he has held a series of executive roles. Today, he shares with us the memorable anecdotes, his successes as well as challenges, and the lessons learned throughout his journey as COO and CEO, which have shaped him into the leader he is today.

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