HolyWally 👉 https://bit.ly/3h2hkWl In part 2 of our episode with J.K. Khalil of Mastercard, the conversation shifted to the topic of AI and its impact on society. Vuk and J.K. discussed the rise of AI and its accessibility, as well as the potential positive and negative implications for society. Key findings from the episode: AI has been in development for decades, but it wasn't until the launch of ChatGPT that the world started paying more attention to it.The book "Stealing Fire" by Steven...

HolyWally 👉 https://bit.ly/3h2hkWl In this episode of The Future of Financial Services Podcast, host Vuk is joined by J.K. Khalil, General Manager, MENA East at Mastercard. J.K. brings a wealth of experience in technology, FinTech, and strategy consulting to the show, along with a deep understanding of the MEA markets. The discussion centres around the future of financial services, the power of partnerships, and the role of AI in this industry and beyond. In Part 1 of the episode: J.K....

HolyWally 👉 https://bit.ly/3h2hkWl For decades, there has been talk of technology taking over the world in the next 5 or 10 years. However, one industry that has managed to defy that convention has been banking.  While many other industries have embraced technology and efficiency, banking remains steeped in tradition and heritage. To find out why, the renowned Steve Monaghan joins us for an in-depth analysis of how technological inventions could positively impact banking. Over his...

HolyWally 👉 https://bit.ly/3h2hkWl Oliver Rajic led the pioneering technology firm Alpha FinTech in a wave of innovation that saw the company develop an industry-leading super app.  As the Chief Growth Officer at PPRO now, Oliver shares his insights into how the intersection of Web 3.0 and our financial system may create unique synergies that result in greater productivity across the board. He details how working with cloud services has allowed for incredible economies of scale to provide...

HolyWally 👉 https://bit.ly/3h2hkWl Dave Wallace is the founder of NMD+, an author, a podcaster in his own right, and the guest of our next episode. He joins us to share his rich experience with integrating digital technologies into emerging markets such as Hong Kong and Australia.  Dave discusses how some of the essential changes that banks need to make related to speed and service delivery. Many core platforms are unable to match up with customer needs, prompting the question of...

HolyWally 👉 https://bit.ly/3h2hkWl Omar Halabieh, Head of Technology at Amazon Payment Services joins us as our 10th guest. By now, our panel of guests have managed to sketch an overarching theme of the vast and diverse financial landscape. If financial services are to achieve financial inclusion and answer for the 1.6 billion people unbanked, technology needs to be at the core of the solution. Omar believes that the biggest problem technology can solve is financial inclusion. Although 1.7...

HolyWally 👉 https://bit.ly/3h2hkWl The payments revolution of the past few years shows no sign of slowing. In fact, propped up by the dizzying speed of eCommerce growth since the pandemic, fintech companies around the world have long prepared for a scenario referred to as the death of cash: the accomplishment of a completely cashless society. However, recent evidence has shown that some companies may have been a little too optimistic, and we still have a long way to go before that is...

A report by the MENA Fintech Association found that the region has historically been inclined to cling to cash payments, and the banking sector has been slower to adapt. Despite this, the report also concluded that 7 out of 10 payment transactions in the Middle East will be non-cash in 2023, with the UAE more specifically likely to account for 73 percent of payments in 2023.  Bold and innovative fintech companies like Mamo are part of the driving force behind this change. In this episode of...

Open banking describes the process of banks and other traditional financial institutions opening up data for regulated providers to access, use and share with their customers' permission. In an age where most of us are concerned about our data privacy, this might sound unsafe, but putting these infrastructures in place allows banks to ultimately improve financial services for their customers. By sharing this data that they have previously kept in-house, new companies and new products can come...

Contactless payments soared during the height of the pandemic and with customers everywhere demanding greater convenience and a more frictionless payment experience, industry experts believe we are not far away from witnessing the introduction of biometric payments and other methods that negate the need for a physical device entirely.  Today we are speaking to Hiren Raghuvanshi, the Head of Cards, Payments and Direct Banking at the Commercial Bank of Dubai. Hiren has more than 15 years of...

1.7 billion people globally are underbanked. In the MENA region more specifically, one in five adults do not have a bank account. The impact? In the words of one of our former guests, Andrew Gold, "If you don't have a bank account, you are now cut off from so many of those financial services that are really critical to establishing wealth, building wealth and raising your station in life."  In this episode, we are tackling the issue of financial inclusion with Devid Jegerson, the Executive...

One of the financial services spaces that fintech is most effectively disrupting is payments. Fintech innovation is making it easier than ever to make payments and get paid, eliminating the need for the clumsy and outdated systems involving IBANs and SWIFT codes that have dominated these processes for far too long. In this episode, we are unpacking the need for this revolution with Andrew Gold. Andrew previously worked for heavy-hitters such as Apple and Coinbase and he is now the Co-Founder...

What do you think is the most pressing pain point for SMEs in the MENA region? Pluto Card Co-Founder and CEO Mo Aziz believes it is the inefficiency of B2B payments and how they limit small businesses' ability to pay and get paid safely and seamlessly. Pluto Card is on a mission to revolutionise this process.  Mo stepped up to the mic on The Future of Financial Services Podcast to share how he identified this need in the SME sector and how fintechs can provide a game-changing solution. He...

Within the next two years, 4 billion people will be using digital wallets and the global mobile payments market size is expected to hit US$5.5 billion by 2024. EP2 of The Future of Financial Services explores how increasing mobile penetration, the notoriously high numbers of under- and unbanked individuals, and rapid development in the fintech space create opportunities for retailers and customers alike.  Our expert guest is Pierre-Marie Desbazeille, the Chief Operating Officer for...

Welcome to The Change Officer Podcast’s Future of Financial Services Series.  If change is the only constant, we need to understand how our industries are evolving, and how we can be a part of the transformation that is taking place.  In this series, we are deep-diving into some of the hottest and most pivotal topics in the financial services industry right now, including personalisation in financial services, embedded financial services and the mobile payment revolution.  To gain an...