Breaking Barriers, Building Connections: Delivering hyper-personalisation era of digital banking

The increased competition from alternative financial services providers is pushing banks to improve digital footprint and enhance user experience, by upgrading their technology stack to deliver personalised digital engagement.

Wilson Chia, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker

Global transaction banking outlook amid higher inflation, rising rates, and geopolitical risks

Transaction banking remained strong due to growth in accounts payables and receivables, despite market uncertainties. However, tighter macroeconomic conditions, such as slower growth rates, high inflation, rising interest rates, foreign exchange volatility, and geopolitical tensions, pose challenges. Digital banks have disrupted the traditional banking landscape, creating potential challenges. Additionally, the rise of green and sustainable banking practices demands financial institutions to incorporate environmental and social considerations. Navigating these complexities requires a strategic and adaptable approach for continued success in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.

Mathew Welch, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker

Trade finance transformation and digitalisation: An ecosystem powered by a collaborative approach as way forward

While the flight to digital has ushered in paperless trade finance processes, it has also created digital islands and closed loops, exacerbated by a lack of standardisation and acceptance of common legal standards. To drive the ‘critical mass’ to end-to-end digital trade, it is crucial to facilitate interoperability to close the trade finance gap.

Nicholas Drury, Director, TAB Insights

Scaling up Business Insights: How AI unleashes the power of data

The reliance on 5G network, and interconnected devices is generating a vast amount of data. If managed properly, banks can use this for real-time insights in decision-making. However, issues in data governance and data engineering create a gap in data availability, usability and integrity, thus giving rise to AI-driven analytics.

David Gyori, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker

Transformation in cross-border payments and liquidity management: Fulfilling the promise of speed, security, transparency and traceability

The cross-border payment experience continues to be transformed with the proliferation of new payment providers, upgrades to legacy payment market infrastructure and interlinkages of the domestic real-time payment systems. This session will discuss the breakthroughs and initiatives needed to push ‘real-time’ cross-border payments.

Mathew Welch, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker

Unlocking the Future of Finance: How open banking API drive digital transformation

The open banking approach continues to gain favour in 2023. Banks are developing scalable API capabilities to increase revenue streams and develop customer-centric products and services. However, the risks tied to sharing data with third parties remain a challenge for traditional players. In this session, incumbents will discuss the use of advanced security measures and digital tools to prevent security breaches.

Christian Kapfer, Research Director, The Asian Banker

Breaking Boundaries: Redefining the way we pay in a digital world

Innovation in the payments industry will continue to evolve, powered by digitisation and strong customer demand. The real-time payment market will expand further as new payment rails enable real-time transactions. ISO 20022 is enhancing security and compliance in addition to data standardisation and interoperability. Moreover, embedded payments and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) will continue to flourish with the growing use of e-commerce.

Christian Kapfer, Research Director, The Asian Banker

The future of transaction banking with fast-emerging competition from digital players

While traditional banks continue to increase their investment in digital and have benefited from years of tech-dollar spending, agile new competitors have been ramping up their capabilities at a much faster pace, lower acquisition and investment costs.

In this session, incumbents and disruptors will convene to exchange ideas on collaboration and partnership to make customers’ transaction finance journey more seamless. They must be able to answer questions such as: Who will acquire more of the customer’s wallet share? Who will capture more transactions and what will the future business model of this collaboration look like?

Mathew Welch, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker

Securing the Future: Strengthening cyber defenses in the hybrid landscape

Winning the customer in the digital age is not easy. Customers demand more digital solutions but they also have other considerations, from personalisation to security around their financial data. Heightened threats of cyberattacks cause FIs to implement stringent measures to mitigate security breaches. Banks must build robust frameworks to fight data theft, money laundering, and security breaches.

David Gyori, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker

Global supply chain disruption and the role of innovation and partnerships in eliminating bottlenecks

The world is experiencing trade frictions, COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine crisis. As a result, business enterprises have struggled to maintain continuity in processes, production and procurement—managing physical supply chains, liquidity and working capital. As supply chains realign, what are the expected headwinds that buyers, suppliers and their financiers face? How can working capital be unlocked to enable efficiencies in supply chain financing?

As the disruption continues along with growth in e-commerce, the delivery of SCF through a strategic alliance between banks and fintech/platforms opens an opportunity to foster next generation of business models. The future of supply chain platforms is one predicated on the confluence of technology partnerships and innovation.

Foo Boon Ping, President and Managing Editor, The Asian Banker

From Fintech to Embedded Finance: Navigating the paradigm shift

Embedded finance offers tailored financial products and services to customers. Hence, many banks and fintechs are investing heavily to develop their embedded finance products to gain customer trust and drive revenue. Traditional players are partnering with fintechs and payment companies to accelerate embedded finance adoption to thrive in a highly competitive landscape.

Peter Deans, Advisor, The Asian Banker Risk Management Awards Programme

The rise of ESG in transaction and corporate banking: Challenges and opportunities in the journey towards carbon neutrality

ESG can help businesses make sound decisions and investors can achieve better long-term returns. However, most companies are still learning what ESG means to their organisations and which ESG factors are critical to their businesses. This is an opportunity for banks to assist clients to navigate their ESG journey, especially in their trade and supply chain flows.

Siddharth Chandani, Senior Research Analyst, The Asian Banker

Blockchain Unleashed: Accelerating the evolution of the digital economy

In the past few years, we had a remarkable surge in digital currencies, propelling the development of cutting-edge innovations such as blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), metaverse, and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). But what lies beyond these advancements?

Advanced technologies such as Web 3.0 networks are rising as a new generation of the internet based on decentralisation. The adoption of these technologies has the potential for lowering costs and accelerating transactions while increasing transparency and security. Accordingly, the decentralised digital ledger technologies will impact the future of the digital economy.

Neeti Aggarwal, Senior Research and Consulting Manager, The Asian Banker

Impact of digital assets on transaction banking and corporate banking

As decentralised finance (DeFi) continues to boom, the digital assets ecosystem is in a constant state of evolution. The most promising use cases of digital assets in financial services are in cross-border payment, settlement and trade finance.

This panel will discuss the importance of harmonisation and standardisation of definitions and rules governing this space. Where do the challenges lie? What kind of collaboration between regulators, central banks, traditional banks and private sectors is needed?

Foo Boon Ping, President and Managing Editor, The Asian Banker

Embracing Cloud-Native: Fueling scalability and innovation

Investments in cloud-based applications have been growing significantly. Storing and accessing data on the cloud is vital for operational and cost efficiency. New emerging technologies are also pushing banks to enhance their IT infrastructure to streamline operation.

Wilson Chia, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker

Fireside chat with David Cooper, Head of Transactional FX and Workflow Solutions APAC Head, Cash Management, Deutsche Bank on “Addressing today’s corporate treasury needs through automation and technology”

With higher rates and cost of funding, what are the treasurers’ priorities today? What are the implications of deglobalisation, localisation of supply chains and escalation in energy and other prices on corporate treasury?

With a raft of highlighted issues, reducing FX risk and optimising short and long-term investments have become the priority. As they navigate the complexities of the new post-pandemic world, real-time treasury management supported by automation, data and technology advances will be vital to address their pain points.

Nicholas Drury, Director, TAB Insights

Managing cyber and financial crime risks in a hyperconnected world

Technology has been a key enabler but challenges brought by the increasingly sophisticated cyber threats become a key concern in this hyperconnected world. Though we can never eliminate risks, we can prevent and mitigate them appropriately and timely through a unified methodology integrating people, process, technology and most importantly data into the management and decision-making process.

David Gyori, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker

Presentation by Theo Priestley, Global Technology Futurist; Author of “The Future Starts Now”, on “The Convergence of Web3, Metaverse, and AI”

Fintech has witnessed the rapid emergence of various technologies that have had a significant impact on the industry. However, despite often being perceived as separate trends, these technologies are interconnected. In this session, Theo Priestley will discuss how Web3, the Metaverse, and now Artificial Intelligence should not be seen as separate strategies but as convergent ones.

Christian Kapfer, Research Director, The Asian Banker

Presentation by Barbaros Uygun, Chief Executive Officer, Mox Bank on “Measuring the Success of a Digital Banking Strategy”

David Gyori, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker

Presentation by senior executive, BPC

Presentation by Kumardev Chatterjee, Metaverse Mastermind, Technology Thought Leader; Member, INTERPOL Expert Group on "From Virtual to Real: Exploring the Evolving Landscape of Virtual Economies and Digital Assets"

Neeti Aggarwal, Senior Research and Consulting Manager, The Asian Banker

The financial services industry is experiencing a ground-breaking digital transformation. Yet, as financial technologies continue to develop, it’s becoming harder to harness the large volumes of data being produced to enable better customer experiences and boost the bottom line. As a financial institution, leveraging the wealth of your data means first breaking down silos and allowing for enterprise-wide access. You need to store data cost-effectively and efficiently while ensuring security and compliance.

Presentation by Yi Shuen Chin, Director, Global Strategy and Solutions, APJ, Pure Storage

Banks are rethinking their core and backend technology architecture to meet the changing needs of their customers and stay competitive. FIs are turning to microservices to deploy new services faster. Moreover, they are shifting apps to the cloud, and implementing API frameworks. In this session, we will discover future opportunities and understand how to overcome challenges in implementing core and backend technology architecture.

Presentation by Colin Dinn, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Vietcombank

Neeti Aggarwal, Senior Research and Consulting Manager, The Asian Banker

Modernizing payment systems opens doors to various opportunities. Legacy systems escalate costs, undermine long-term efficacy, and pose security and systemic risks, hindering customer-centric business. Through modernization, organizations gain access to heightened business flexibility, enabling them to achieve phenomenal agility in executing client-oriented go-to-market strategies. This transformation is accompanied by enhanced security measures and a material cost advantage, which contributes to long-term economic growth.

Presentation by Sundeep Rawal, Senior Director Asia Pacific, Euronet

China's efforts to internationalise the RMB may challenge the US dollar's dominance as the global reserve currency. For this to happen, it needs to open up financial markets, increase transparency, and promote the use of the RMB in international trade. While the benefits include reducing the dominance of the US dollar and increasing China's global influence, risks such as increased volatility and political tensions exist simultaneously. The potential benefits of the RMB becoming a reserve currency are significant, but there are challenges:

TS Shankar, Asia Representative, BAFT

Barney Frank, the esteemed policymaker and former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, brings his expertise to illuminate the SVB fiasco and delve into the valuable lessons that banks can learn from it. Leveraging his profound understanding of the financial sector, he will shed light on the regulatory challenges encountered during the explosive rise and subsequent collapse of SVB. Uncover the strategies and regulations that Frank advocates, enabling banks to effectively mitigate risks, champion responsible innovation, and cultivate sustainable growth.

Session co-hosted Gordian Gaeta, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker and Emmanuel Daniel, Founder, The Asian Banker

On stage dialogue with Kelvin Teo, Co-Founder, Funding Societies

Funding Societies is Southeast Asia's largest SME digital financing and debt investment platform, specializing in short-term financing for SMEs. It has a track record of loan disbursement of more than $2.6 billion through more than 5.1 million transactions across the region. Since 2015, their efforts have supported the growth of numerous small and medium enterprises while enabling investors to diversify and expand their portfolios. Since founding Funding Societies alongside Reynold during their time at Harvard, Kelvin Teo has seamlessly combined his expertise in working with SMEs with his innovative contributions to the local FinTech scene.

Mathew Welch, International Resource Director, The Asian Banker