The OMFIF Podcast

Max Castelli, head of strategy, sovereign institutions at UBS asset management, and Philipp Salman, also on the team at UBS, speak with OMFIF Lead Economist Taylor Pearce to discuss the latest observable trends in central bank reserve management. They discuss investment strategies, currency and asset allocations and the factors influencing reserve managers’ investment decisions in the current macroenvironment, which UBS have been tracking for 30 years now. OMFIF's 2024 GPI report on central bank reserve management is available here.    The views expressed are as of July 2024 and are those of the author and not necessarily the views of UBS Asset Management. This podcast is a marketing communication and the information herein should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation to purchase or sell securities or any particular strategy or fund. Information and opinions have been provided in good faith and are subject to change without notice.

With the proliferation in artificial intelligence development, the landscape for fraud is changing rapidly. The technology represents a tool for both fraudsters and those whose job it is to catch them. Liyun He Guelton, senior AI researcher, and Claire Deprez, head of product management at Worldline, joined Lewis McLellan, Digital Monetary Institute editor, to discuss the new threats AI poses in enabling fraud, and the tools that Worldline is developing to thwart them.

Wolfram Seidemann, chief executive officer of Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology, joins John Orchard, chief executive officer of OMFIF, for a discussion on why public and private sectors need to come together to pool their strengths to build a thriving CBDC ecosystem. They will discuss the advantages for both stakeholders and users, and underscore the importance of offline functionality as a key area for collaboration. Access deeper insights by also downloading OMFIF’s report in partnership with G+D: Unlocking the potential of a CBDC ecosystem  

Geoffrey Yu, senior Europe, Middle East and Africa market strategist at BNY Mellon, joins Taylor Pearce, lead economist of OMFIF’s Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, to discuss the outcomes of the European Parliament election and the subsequent market implications. They discuss the effects of a snap election in France, the potential impact of the new European Parliament on trade policy and other major market topics.

With its recent 'Finternet' paper, the Bank for International Settlements has planted its flag firmly in shared ledgers as the future rails of financial infrastructure. The idea of a single platform – a network of ledgers – providing the means for the seamless and instant settlement of many financial and non-financial assets versus tokenised cash is certainly attractive in its promise. Delivering such a complex ecosystem entails a great deal of complexity, both technically and from the perspective of governance. However, incremental steps in that direction are already delivering business value. To explain how tokenised settlement platforms are improving financial markets, Lewis McLellan, editor of OMFIF's Digital Monetary Institute, is joined by Basak Toprak, EMEA head of coin systems at Onyx by JP Morgan, and Atul Bhuchar, head of product at Partior.

Ulf Erlandsson, founder and chief executive officer of the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute, joins Edward Maling, economist at OMFIF’s Economic and Monetary Policy Institute, to discuss the importance of fixed income markets for the climate transition. Sharing insights from AFII’s Sustainability-Linked Bond Handbook, Erlandsson explores the latest innovations in sustainable financial products, the nuances of SLBs and the potential for their continued development.

Robert Stheeman, the departing chief executive of the UK Debt Management Office, joins Burhan Khadbai, head of content at OMFIF’s Sovereign Debt Institute, to recall the highs and lows of more than two decades managing the gilt market. Stheeman discusses dealing with crises including the infamous 2022 mini budget, how the gilt market has evolved, the importance of maintaining the primary dealer system and more.

Regina Curry, chief diversity officer at Franklin Templeton, joins Emma McGarthy, head of the Sustainable Policy Institute at OMFIF, to discuss the importance of gender balance in financial institutions. They examine the necessary benchmarks, key indicators and information required to retain and encourage women in leadership positions as well as how to foster inclusive cultures and overcome barriers. 

Valentina Ion, public finance and public transportation lead at Microsoft, joins OMFIF to discuss the company's commitment to ethical and responsible artificial intelligence in the public sector. She explores the key risks posed by advanced AI systems, outlines Microsoft's core principles for ethical development and explains the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing AI safety and governance challenges. Ion also offers suggestions for how individuals can stay informed about AI's evolving landscape.

In the first of three podcasts as part of OMFIF’s project with EY on the future of public money, OMFIF’s Nikhil Sanghani is joined by Dr Carolyn Bordeaux, senior visiting scholar at the University of Georgia and former member of the US House of Representatives, and Mark Macdonald, global public finance management leader at EY. They discuss the growing fiscal constraints facing governments, the need for effective institutional structures and the importance of having better metrics to inform public spending decisions.