PayTech Awards nominations close in two weeks!
The deadline for nominations is Friday 17 March, so don’t leave it too late!
BankingTech
US challenger Varo Bank reportedly raising funds at reduced valuation
Fintech Business Weekly reports the firm is raising $50m at a $1.8bn valuation, a 28% decline in value.
Africa’s Ecobank Group names Jeremy Awori as CEO
Awori brings more than 25 years of banking industry experience to the leadership role, Ecobank says.
The B-word
I have never known a technology to divide opinion as much as blockchain.
Intesa Sanpaolo partners IBM to upgrade its IT infrastructure
Intesa Sanpaolo will utilise the IBM z16 platform to bolster its cybersecurity operations.
Transforming transformation
According to McKinsey, 70% of digital transformation projects fail. So what is going wrong?
Thought Machine plans to boost headcount by 20% in 2023
Thought Machine intends to hire across India, Japan and South Africa for the first time.
I ain’t talkin’ to some junior
Some people seek to establish their assumptions as facts and resort to a telling off as a power move.
Power to the people: How Zenus Bank aims to democratise access to banking
FinTech Futures sits down for a chat with Mushegh Tovmasyan, founder of Zenus Bank.
Nationwide taps Board to upgrade financial planning capabilities
Board will “replace and transform” Nationwide’s financial planning processes and systems.
Westpac pens five-year cloud deal with AWS to boost digital transformation
Westpac aims to leverage AWS’ tech to accelerate its digital transformation.
Should digital banking platforms be fraud prevention solutions by design?
Banks should look to use technology to not only curb financial crime but to gain a competitive advantage.
Banking Technology Magazine March 2023 issue out now
Cover story: FACE OFF – Confrontation can be a good thing.
Remitly to wind down digital banking app Passbook
All Passbook accounts will be closed on 1 May 2023.
Shanghai Commercial Bank taps Salt Edge for PSD2 compliance solution
With the partnership, the bank says it will be able to offer customers a secure connection to external apps.
Digital transformations: the case for change and why they fail
We need a more human-centric approach to transformational change.
Panamax expands global reach with Acute Informatics acquisition
Panamax’s CEO says the acquisition of India-based Acute is a “strategic move to expand our horizons”.
Wells Fargo launches digital financial planning platform LifeSync
LifeSync, available from March, will sit within the Wells Fargo mobile app.
Varo Bank appoints Wook Chung as chief product officer
Chung most recently served as vice president of product, design and engineering at SoFi.
Northern Ireland renaissance: how US companies sparked Northern Ireland’s global fintech hub
Northern Ireland is the world’s top region for both new software development and fintech inward investment projects.
Santander Bank picks SigFig to modernise client investment experience
Via the partnership, the pair have developed Santander PathFinder, an automated investment management tool.
Wells Fargo lays off hundreds of its mortgage bankers
The job cuts were made in response to “significant decreases” in mortgage volumes, Wells Fargo says.
US president Joe Biden nominates former Mastercard CEO to lead World Bank
Ajay Banga has been nominated to lead the World Bank following the resignation of David Malpass.
Watch out for the core crash
There is more turmoil to come in the core banking space.
Arvest Bank launches new lending product powered by Thought Machine
Arvest claims it is the first US bank to offer lending capabilities on Thought Machine’s core.
KCB Bank Kenya taps Sopra Banking Software for digital transformation
Sopra Banking Software will design, build and support the bank’s savings and lending products.
Decisions in the right places (or why I wrote that book of mine)
Changing habits and everyday ways of working shouldn’t be a CEO initiative. It’s everyone’s job.
Mizuho International taps SymphonyAI to help fight financial crime
Mizuho will use SymphonyAI Sensa to boost AML protection within its European capital markets division.
Chetwood’s SmartSave Bank partners cash deposit platform Flagstone
Under the new partnership, SmartSave’s fixed rate accounts will be made available to Flagstone clients.
National Australia Bank builds its own fintechs
A closer look at how National Australia Bank’s approach to innovation has evolved in recent years.
First Abu Dhabi Bank hires Michel Longhini to lead global private banking
Longhini joins from Edmond de Rothschild where he was CEO of private banking.
Icelandic neobank Indó taps Lucinity for AML protection
With the partnership, Indó will have access to Lucinity’s transaction monitoring and case manager solutions.
State of play: neobanks
Neobanks as a sector are now approaching their teenage years and quickly maturing.
Interview: How Opus is leading the financial services sector forward to a more sustainable future
“The way I see it, the fintech landscape has never looked better,” says TM Praveen, CEO of Opus.
Extended deadline announced for Banking Tech Awards USA 2023 nominations
The new deadline for nominations is now Friday, 24 February 2023. Apply today!
Tesco reportedly exploring sale of banking business
According to Sky News, Tesco is launching a review of its UK banking activities.
Santander reportedly in discussions to purchase Abrdn’s private equity unit
A deal could be made in the next few months with the unit valued at around £250m, Sky News reports.
Solving the cybersecurity puzzle
FinTech Futures speaks to City University of London’s Raj Muttukrishnan and Crossword’s Stuart Jubb.
Demystifying digital transformation
There are a lot of parallels among the big banks in terms of why digital transformation is so complicated.
Video: Highlights from the exclusive global launch of Leda Glyptis’ book, Bankers Like Us
Take a look at the highlights from Leda Glyptis’ global book launch.
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