Global Banking & Finance - Global Banking & Finance Review Issue 51

Chairman and CEO

Varun Sash

Editor Wanda Rich email: wrich@gbafmag.com

Head of Distribution & Production

Robert Mathew

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Megan Sash, Amanda Walker

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Phil Fothergill

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Jessica Weisman-Pitts

Client & Accounts Manager

Chanel Roberts

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Rick Saikia, Monika Umakanth, Stefy Abraham,

Business Analysts

Samuel Joseph, Dave D’Costa

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editor FROM THE

Dear Readers’

Founded by Carl Kathrein in 1924, Kathrein Privatbank is one of the leading private banks in Austria, offering customised investment advice, asset management, financing and consulting to families, entrepreneurs and foundations. Since joining Kathrein Privatbank as CEO in May 2019, Wilhelm, together with his team, has been responsible for the successful implementation of its ambitious growth strategy. When we spoke, he filled me in on how Kathrein Privatbank is prepared to help clients navigate the most difficult challenges being faced in the current financial climate. (Page 24)

NICE Actimize recently held its annual financial services industry technology conference, ENGAGE 2023, with more than 500 participants and 200 financial institutions attending the New York event. Generative AI was a key trend addressed throughout the conference, including a keynote forum that uncovered the “Risk and Rewards of Generative AI," led by the company’s Global Head of Product, Chad Hetherington, and Global Head of Engineering, Yossi Levin. The technology executives saw positive growth for Generative AI innovations with a wide range of use cases under development that could increase productivity throughout bank operational function. Read their full discussion on page 22.

CHOM CAPITAL GmbH is an owner- operated asset management boutique with a proven track record across European equities. It is comprised of a team of highly qualified specialists who are committed to “delivering entrepreneurial success and serving the best interests of our investors,” as well as to its core values of transparency, responsibility and sustainability. I spoke to Christoph Benner, who in addition to being a founder also fulfils the roles of CEO and Portfolio Manager, and Benedikt Kirsch, Portfolio Manager and Head of ESG, who joined the team in 2018. We discussed the value proposition offered to investors by CHOM CAPITAL, the competitive advantages that arise from its ESG approach, and the ‘SUSTAINAMENTALS’ that drive its performance. (Page 16)

We strive to capture the breaking news about the world's economy, financial events, and banking game changers from prominent leaders in the industry and public viewpoints with an intention to serve a holistic outlook. We have gone that extra mile to ensure we give you the best from the world of finance.

Send me your thoughts on how I can continue to improve and what you’d like to see in the future.

Enjoy!

Wanda Rich Editor

I am pleased to present Issue 51 of Global Banking & Finance Review. For those of you that are reading us for the first time, welcome.

14

BANKING Open Finance is changing the way we bank

28

BUSINESS

Businesses must empower their staff to plan for their financial future: here’s how Chieu Cao, CEO, Mintago

44

How financial services firms can prepare for the impending FCA Consumer Duty

Dr Robert Schumacher, Managing Partner, Bold Insight

46

Is your business ready for the new family-friendly employment laws?

Adrian Lewis, Director, Activ People HR

48

The essential guidelines for succeeding in times of crisis

32

INVESTING Turnaround time: private equity could be crucial to sub-Saharan Africa’s economic resurgence

By Bryan Turner, Partner, Spear Capital

Rajesh Saxena, CEO, iGCB, Intellect Design Arena

10

The Impact Of Payment Partnerships for business growth in the E-Commerce Landscape

Anjulie Patel, VP of Partnerships, Nucleus365

E-wallets: The payment upgrade for marketplaces

Guido Kuhring, Head of Sales for Central and Northern Europe, Mangopay

12

TECHNOLOGY

Conversational AI can be transformational for customer service in the insurance industry

Sanjeev Kumar, VP EMEA, Boost.ai

Navigating the software testing market in the post-pandemic era

Suhail Ansari, Chief Technology Officer, Tricentis

Financial services companies seek to unlock efficiencies of cybersecurity automation

Leon Ward, Vice President of Product Management, ThreatQuotient

Read it on page 22

Risks and Rewards of Generative

AI: Productivity to Accelerate

Chad Hetherington, Global Head of Product, NICE Actimize Yossi Levin, Global Head of Engineering, NICE Actimize

Austria’s

Continuing to Apply the Personal Approach in its 99th Year

Read it on page 24

CHOM CAPITAL:

Read it on page 16

Benedikt Kirsch, Portfolio Manager and Head of ESG, CHOM CAPITAL

Christoph Benner, Founder, CEO, and Portfolio Manager, CHOM CAPITAL

Wilhelm Celeda, CEO, Kathrein Privatbank

The Impact Of Payment Partnerships for business growth in the E-Commerce Landscape

Managing fast and secure financial flows has always relied on successful partnerships designed to create mutually beneficial outcomes. Recent findings from PWC reveal that 86% of surveyed professionals in the payments sector agree that traditional payments providers will collaborate with fintechs and technology providers as a primary of innovation. Collaboration is a well-established practice across the financial sector, be it banking, payments or e-commerce, with the benefits reaching far beyond the ability to deliver cross-border solutions.

With digital commerce projected to reach a total transaction value of US$6.03tn in 2023, the rise and continued growth of digital e-commerce, which 89% of payments industry experts believe will persist, has led to an increased focus on payment partnerships.

While the payments sector possesses expert knowledge of payment-making processes and partnerships, merchants often lack awareness of the nuances in partnership types and the benefits of forming them. This lack of understanding can impede business growth, market competitiveness, and limit opportunities for higher profits and reduced risk.

What Is A Payment Partnership?

A payment partnership occurs when two or more businesses utilise each other’s infrastructures for mutual benefit. Typically, one business provides the technological

components to facilitate secure domestic or cross-border payments, while the other offers one or more sales channels and customer bases.

Partnerships depend on various factors such as sector, demographic, products, and market size of the partnering businesses. They can also be flexible or fixed-term, dependent on sales and payment success figures. Partnerships can encompass a business’s entire operation or focus on specific aspects, such as customer bases in a particular region or payment processing technology designed for a specific customer base or payment method.

The Benefits Of Payments Partnerships

The first benefit of partnerships is increased reach and exposure, leveraging partner networks to tap into new customer bases. By doing so, businesses can explore untapped markets and tailor their product and service offerings to newly-gained demographics, positioning themselves for faster growth opportunities.

It’s important to understand that partnerships are not limited to domestic or established markets. They can be just as, if not more, effective in markets primed for growth. Let’s take the UAE as an example, the region ranked as the fastest-growing e-commerce market in the world in 2022 and has a projected value of $17.2billion by 2027. At Nucleus365, we have seen an increase in merchant exploration

into rising markets, utilising our service to create effective partnerships and secure financial flows in regions such the UAE –namely Dubai, alongside the likes of Hong Kong and Europe.

Accessing new yet established markets also provides valuable market data, performance history, and experience to inform business decisions. Partnerships enable businesses to enter the market more swiftly by leveraging established supply chains and relationships of their partners, eliminating the need to start from scratch.

Payment partnerships actively work to reduce risk, which is one of their key advantages. The insights and customer bases previously unobtainable through partnerships allow businesses to make informed decisions without the trial and error processes that often come with increased risk. Moreover, accessing new markets diversifies sales, mitigating the negative impact of diminishing returns and a market downturn in a specific region, should it occur. By partnering, businesses can share the financial burden of payment investments and no longer rely solely on their own business performance, thus increasing operational resilience.

Businesses often underestimate the benefits of partnerships in encouraging information-sharing between companies. The most successful partnerships go beyond market growth, new customer bases, and risk reduction.