The Future of Fintech, and Why That Future is Human w/ Monica Millares, Principal, Product @BigPay

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Garik Tate an AI Futurist, Investor, and AI Strategy Consultant. His expertise lies at the intersection of AI, IQ, and EQ. He makes companies more valuable to institutional buyers and increases their profits with AI. With over a decade of experience as a successful entrepreneur, Garik has founded companies spanning Software Development, Outsourcing, and Publishing. Notably, he has led and nurtured organizations to a team size of 75 employees. Garik is a sought-after speaker on AI’s future, and its practical application in business. His expertise and passion for the subject have earned him a reputation as a respected voice in the AI community, and he is often sought out by companies looking for advice on how to leverage the power of AI to drive growth and success. In the episode Garik shares insights on: The human element of people’s friction and fear of implementing AI How to navigate your team toward implementing AI on a soft skills basis What AI is actually good for. And what should you be looking out for when finding areas in your business where you can easily add AI without a lot of friction How to get your team on board, find a champion, and put in place success criteria Specific AI case studies To get in touch with Garik get in touch via LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garik-tate/ To find more information on Valhalla.Team - https://www.valhalla.team/ The VA company referenced in the conversation - https://2xyou.com/ Are you getting every episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership in your favourite podcast player? You can find us Apple Podcasts and Spotify to subscribe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Zennon Kapron the Director of Kapronasia, one of Asia's leading financial technology research and consulting firms. Prior to Kapronasia, Zennon was the Asia Pacific Financial Industry Manager and Global Banking Industry Manager for Intel. At Intel, he helped position and sell Intel-based architecture to financial services firms globally. Before Intel, Zennon worked at Citi at a number of different technology management roles culminating in his role as CIO for Citigroup Portugal. Zennon is a recognised thought leader on fintech in Asia and a regular speaker at financial conferences and shows globally including: Money 20/20, TradeTech, Sibos, SIFMA, Innovate Finance, Future of Fintech in Asia, APFIC and many others. He has testified in front of the U.S. Congress on matters of China Fintech and is regularly quoted in the press and television appearances including CNBC, Bloomberg, The Economist, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times to name a few. Zennon is the author of 'Chomping at the Bitcoin: The Past, Present and Future of Bitcoin in China' published by Penguin as well as countless reports and commentaries on the state of financial technology in Asia. He is also a Top Voice on LinkedIn in Asian finance talking about fintech, payments, digital banking, DeFi, CBDCs. In the episode Zennon shares insights on: The surge in digital payments in Asia and how this is playing out across the entire region. How for more than a decade, the Asian tech ecosystem has been dominated by “super-apps:” platforms such as WeChat, Alipay, and Meituan that offer an enormous network of services all in one integrated app. Something Elon Musk has recently labeled an ‘everything app’. Zennon shares what constitutes a super app. And if are all platforms that are regarded as a super-apps are worthy of the title. If BNPL in Asia will replace traditional credit cards. Government led domestic card networks replacing Mastercard and Visa. A commonly held belief around digital banks in Asia that Zennon passionately disagrees with. Zennon's counter-intuitive, half-crazy prediction about the next five years for the Asian payments industry. To get in touch with Zennon get in touch via LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zennon/ To check out Kapron Asia go to - https://www.kapronasia.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Medhy Souidi a passionate innovator and a driving force in the financial industry. Serving as the Head of Transformation and Ecosystems at DBS Hong Kong, one of Asia's top-tier banks, Medhy brings fresh ideas to life, creates customer-centric services, and ensures DBS stays on the cutting edge of fintech. Drawing from his deep industry knowledge and a wealth of experience, Medhy plays an instrumental role in the bank's success. As a trusted voice in fintech, AI, and the Metaverse, he's the go-to speaker at industry events, and his insights are eagerly sought by those eager to understand the latest in fintech. Outside his work at DBS, Medhy shares his love for all things fintech through his newsletter and podcast, "What the FinTech". Launched in 2019, the podcast and YouTube channel provide unique perspectives on the fast-paced fintech world, featuring expert interviews and wide-ranging topics. Medhy has created a vibrant community of fintech enthusiasts, providing valuable insights and networking opportunities. In addition to all of this, Medhy makes time to actively participate in industry events and initiatives. He was a board member of the Fintech Association of Hong Kong, committed to enhancing the regional fintech ecosystem. His expertise, professional network, and engaging content have earned him recognition as a leading voice in the fintech industry. He was awarded the "Fintech Changemaker of the Year" by Asian Private Banker in 2019 and identified as a young innovator by Tatler's Gen T list, marking his significant impact on Asia's financial and tech landscapes. Medhy also serves as Senior Advisor / Senior Editor for Money20/20, the place where money does business. In the episode Medhy shares insights on the latest Artificial Intelligence considerations, how the technology is evolving and what this means for the future of work, complexities you need to be aware of, data and tools to get the most out of this fast evolving technology, generative AI pilot use cases, where the technology is headed and what the next 5 years will look like. To get in touch with Medhy get in touch via LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/medhysouidi/ To check out What the FinTech go to - https://linktr.ee/wtf_fintech01 To check out Money20/20 Asia go to - https://asia.money2020.com/ Are you getting every episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership in your favourite podcast player? You can find us Apple Podcasts and Spotify to subscribe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Wenbin Wong the Managing Director, GrabFin, where he oversees Grab's fintech business in Singapore. He works closely with partners and regulators to deliver services to Grab's users, drivers and merchant partners. Prior to this, he was the Head of Product for GrabFin, setting the vision and delivery of usable, innovative products that enable social and financial mobility across Southeast Asia. He joined Grab in 2015 and held various roles before assuming his current position, and was Chief Product Officer at Ovo and Director of Strategy at Grab. Grab is Southeast Asia’s leading superapp, offering a suite of services consisting of deliveries, mobility, financial services, enterprise and others. Grabbers come from all over the world, and they are united by a common mission: to drive Southeast Asia forward by creating economic empowerment for everyone. Six in 10 Southeast Asian adults are unbanked or underbanked and nine in 10 do not have credit cards. Grab Financial Group (GFG) is a leading Southeast Asian fintech platform which aims to meet their needs by providing simple, transparent, and flexible financial products. GFG comprises GrabFin (digital payments, financing, insurance, rewards, and wealth management) and Digibanks - Grab’s regional digital banking business. In the episode Wenbin shares insights on how they're establishing Grab as the #1 super app in Singapore and Southeast Asia, how they've made financial services more accessible for different user groups, how GrabFin has evolved post pandemic, insights on embedded finance, supporting the growth of everyday enterprises, BNPL integration, key lessons learned and how that is impacting what they're doing moving forward, and what's next for GrabFin. To connect with Wenbin get in touch via LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wenbinwong/ or email [email protected] For more information on Grab visit - https://www.grab.com/sg/ Are you getting every episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership in your favourite podcast player? You can find us Apple Podcasts and Spotify to subscribe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Christopher Bishop a workplace futurist, Deep Tech MC, Quantum Tech Podcast Host, Former IBM'er, and Bass Player. Nanopharmacist? Lunar tour guide? Robotic ethics consultant? Augmented reality medical content designer? Have you heard of these jobs? If not, you will. And you and your children will be doing them. And working in many other roles we can only dream about - sitting here in the early 21st century. 85% of the jobs that today's workers will be doing in the next decade have not been invented yet. And they will have 8-10 jobs by the time they are 38 - according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. So how do you prepare for the 21st century’s global borderless workplace? That's what we get into in this episode. Tune in as Danny and Chris discuss how economics drives workforce trends, new careers emerging at the intersection of historically unconnected disciplines, the future career toolkit, and the three steps to finding your next job...And the one after that. To connect with Chris get in touch via LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherbishop123/ To check out the Quantum Tech Pod tune in here - https://www.insidequantumtechnology.com/news/podcast/ Or if you just want to learn more:Book a meeting -> https://calendly.com/christopherbishopCall or text Chris @ 203.247.7555Email: [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message

Kicking off season 4 of Digital Transformation & Leadership, Danny Levy talks to Monica Millares who works at BigPay, as Principal, Product. She moved to Malaysia as part of BigPay's founding team to help launch and grow what is now one of the fastest growing NeoBanks in South East Asia with 1.37 million transacting users. Monica is a product leader and women advocate who has spent the last decade building great product in the FinTech space. She believes in Financial Safety for all, and that the future of FinTech is to make FinTech more human. Prior to BigPay, Monica steadily progressed from junior analyst in big brands like Visa and Barclaycard, to being one of the first joiners in UK Challenger, Tandem Bank. She helped build the digital bank from scratch and worked with Tandem's CEO on strategic initiatives and Board management. Monica sits on the Board of PayEd - Education in Payments, and is recognized as Singapore’s #Fintech65 Product Leaders and Women in FinTech. She is also a Podcaster and hosts "Purpose Driven FinTech" podcast, writes the "Innovating FinTech" newsletter, and mentors young professionals. In the episode Monica shares insights at her role at BigPay and how this aligns with the topic of the episode, her views on the growing financial stress that we all find ourselves under, how this impacts quality of life and mental health, insights on underbanked and unbanked, and what role FinTech has to play in all of this. She also shares her top career/life lesson and advice to listeners just starting out in the industry. 👉 You can find Monica here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamillares/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@moni_millares TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moni_millares Website: https://moni-millares.mystrikingly.com/ 👉 You can find BigPay here: Website: https://bigpayme.com/ 👉 You can find “Purpose Driven FinTech: Building Products with Impact” Podcast here: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ERV2xcvgcuFRkAb4iUOjt Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/purpose-driven-fintech/id1686687931 Website: https://purpose-driven-fintech.captivate.fm/ 🗞️ Newsletter - Innovating FinTech 😎 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7062789745407340544 Substack: Coming soon 📞 Schedule a free “Open Office” call with Monica: https://www.kalendme.com/en/fintechwithmoni-ejoob Are you getting every episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership in your favourite podcast player? You can find us Apple Podcasts and Spotify to subscribe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Shivani Mukherjee who works at Thought Machine, as Senior Partnerships Leader -APAC. She is responsible for strengthening the core banking partner ecosystem in the region to help banks transition out from legacy cores and transform into Digital first by integrating to Vault, a Cloud native platform. Known as a flexible leader who collaborates with diverse teams, manages intricate projects, achieves stakeholder buy-in for crucial development initiatives, and deftly navigates dynamic markets. Shivani in her last role as Head of product & partnerships solutions at Rapyd, was a key contributor to the startup’s success in the Asia pacific market. One of the earliest employees at Rapyd, she wore many hats ranging from pre-sales, product up to delivery management which was instrumental in driving the four-fold growth for the company seen between 2018 to 2019. As a leader in fintech she is highly regarded for guiding, supporting and delivering instrumental products to market that drove business development and sales. She was the Senior product owner-growth at N26, challenger bank in EU. An out-of-the-box thinker who champions creative solutions and well-received insights through smart interfacing with clients. At Grab, she helped build and launch reconciliation engines across SE Asia as well as devoting substantial time for the development and growth of two flagship products - GrabPay and GrabRewards. Her prior experience includes her role as a consulting engineer at Cognizant technology solutions where she delivered critical projects for legacy banking clients like Lloyds Banking Group, UBS, and CYBG. In the episode Shivani shares how traditional banking is evolving due to fintech led modularisation, which technology forces are driving the transformation, the new winners and losers in financial services, what is in it for customers,  financial inclusion, if incumbents should be worried about fintechs, and what emerging risks she sees with this great unbundling. To get in touch with Shivani contact her on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivani-mukherjee/ For more information on Thought Machine and the work they do visit - https://www.thoughtmachine.net/ Are you getting every episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership in your favourite podcast player? You can find us Apple Podcasts and Spotify to subscribe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Trenton Moss who is a Leadership Coach and Partner at Team Sterka, and the bestselling author of the book Human Powered, that shows you how to collaboratively solve problems, resolve conflict and inspire others.  Trenton is a qualified executive coach, a former Samaritan (where he provided face-to-face and telephone counseling), and he's been coaching and training teams for almost 20 years. Trenton believes that, with the right support, everyone can tap into their brain to make themselves feel unstoppable... and that everyone is able to create goals and actions that excite them... and then make them happen.  In the episode Trenton shares how to develop high-performing teams with low levels of friction and high productivity, how to supercharge your teams with people skills and emotional intelligence, and how to work seamlessly with business stakeholders to ship successful digital products and services. To get in touch with Trenton contact him on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentonmoss/ For more information on Team Sterka and the work they do visit - https://sterka.team/ Are you getting every episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership in your favourite podcast player? You can find us Apple Podcasts and Spotify to subscribe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Steven Scheurmann who is Regional Vice President, ASEAN at Palo Alto Networks and oversees the business in ASEAN, from driving revenue growth and market momentum, to building the overall strategy.  He brings into the company a deep understanding of the region, backed by more than three decades of experience; a solid track record of public and private sector organisations through their digital transformation journeys; diverse tech experience from holding senior positions with several multinational companies and conglomerates; and, a growth mindset dedicated to nurturing talent and developing future leaders. Steven has lived and worked in Asia Pacific for 30 years. He started his adventure in Public Service, working with Foreign Affairs and Immigration in Indonesia, before entering the Private Sector holding senior positions in a number of MNCs and large Asian conglomerates across the region.  In the episode Steven shares how Palo Alto Networks is building a culture of diversity and inclusion, overcoming the talent shortage, how to approach onboarding with a fresh eye, the best way to nurture top talent, and how to marry diversity and inclusion with crisis and business continuity planning.  To get in touch with Steven contact him on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-scheurmann-b809271/ For more information on Palo Alto Networks and the work they do visit - https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/ Are you getting every episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership in your favourite podcast player? You can find us Apple Podcasts and Spotify to subscribe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message

In this episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership Danny Levy talks to Neal Cross a globally recognised corporate, social and Fintech entrepreneur with a long track record across blue-chip technology, finance and data companies.  He is currently co-founder and non-exec chairman of PictureWealth, one of the world’s fastest growing wealth fintech companies and serves on the advisory board of Razer Fintech. Prior to this, Cross was the Chief Innovation Officer at DBS Bank, where in his tenure he drove their transformation into a global innovation powerhouse culminating in achieving the world’s best Digital Bank 2016 and 2018 and worlds best bank 3 times across 2018 and 2019.  He has personally been awarded the world’s most disruptive CIO/CTO globally from judges Sir Richard Branson and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and is a regular winner of best innovation lab and innovation leader awards.  In this episode Neal shares what is driving digital disruption in the finance industry, what it takes to become a disruptor yourself, and the lessons Neal has learned and how to apply these to transform your own organisation.   To get in touch with Neal contact him on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealx/  Or visit his website - https://www.neal.asia/  For more information on PictureWealth and the work they do visit - https://picturewealth.com/  Are you getting every episode of Digital Transformation & Leadership in your favourite podcast player? You can find us Apple Podcasts and Spotify to subscribe. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/danny-levy/message