Today I had the pleasure of joining a panel at the Facebook Financial Services Summit on the future of finance, considering the roles of technology, society, and culture. No small subject then but one which sits very dear to my heart. Ultimately, where is our industry headed?
I loved listening to the points of view from my fellow participants – from Russell Smith from Monzo whose passion for working for a mission-led, customer-centric disrupter was clear; to James Clark from the London Stock Exchange who is finding the firms who will list in the future and working with them to gear up and Adrian Walcott whose culture change business is helping those in financial services find and share their hearts.
Moderated by Nicola Day, Facebook’s fintech lead, the panel debated several key areas:
– The rise of a more financially aware customer
– The development of new business models to meet their needs
– Finding the right team for the journey
– The shift to more responsible financial solutions
– What loyalty will look like in the future
And in each case, how financial services firms and their competitors are adapting, adopting, shifting and changing to position themselves for the future.
Ultimately it reminded me of why I started working in this industry so many years ago and what keeps me going today – that money plays such a critical role in economies, society and the lives of individuals rich and poor – and that supporting those who are positively driving change for the future means I can play my role in supporting the world in which we all live.
Oh and P.S., for those attending, the book I mentioned was Dare to Lead by Brene Brown.
