Financial Markets iNSiGHTS

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Tina Kane speaks with Christian K. Schwarz, Head of Banking and Payment Services, about how Europe’s payments landscape is being reshaped as instant payments become mandatory and financial institutions face mounting pressure to modernise legacy infrastructure.They discuss the scale of regulatory change, the challenges of transitioning to real-time, 24/7 processing, and how workflow orchestration can help banks meet new requirements without replacing core systems. The conversation also examines growing competition from fintech challengers, the erosion of traditional revenue streams such as FX, and the strategic risks facing banks that fail to adapt. The episode further explores the rise of stablecoins, tokenisation and alternative payment rails, and why data, interoperability and innovation beyond regulation will be critical for banks looking to remain competitive in an increasingly fast-moving and fragmented payments ecosystem.

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Tina Kane speaks to Kevin Formby, VP of Finance and Capital Markets Solutions at Keysight Technologies, about the growing importance of observability, precision measurement and time accuracy in modern trading infrastructure.They explore how, despite ever-increasing speed and shrinking latency, many firms still don’t have a full picture or understanding of what is happening inside their systems. Kevin explains why measuring speed - rather than latency-related outcomes - creates an “illusion of control,” and how hidden inefficiencies across complex, fragmented infrastructures can impact performance, fairness and resilience. The conversation delves into the application in financial markets of ultra-precise time synchronisation technologies developed originally for “rocket science”, defence and  telecommunications industries, reinforcing why firms must move beyond speed as a primary metric to a broader focus on visibility, determinism and trust. As markets evolve toward greater automation, continuous trading and tighter regulatory scrutiny, the depth with which market participants can see measure and explain system behaviours will be an increasing competitive and operational advantage.

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Tina Kane speaks with Emmanuel Ashirifi, founder and CEO of Sika Financial Group, about the challenges of FX liquidity - and efficient settlement - in emerging and frontier markets.They discuss how fragmented, manual settlement processes impact working capital liquidity, strain national foreign exchange reserves and impact cross-border trade flow. Emmanuel explains why extending mature-market models isn’t the right approach in these markets, and how purpose-built settlement infrastructure reflecting the particular nuances of less developed economies can bring greater trust, transparency and resilience to trading and supply chain lifecycles, and better meet the needs of financial market participants underserved by current financial market infrastructures.

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Clive Posselt speaks with Philip William, Chief Product Officer at AiMi, about how firms are rethinking this challenge through automation and agentic AI. They explore why manual interpretation still dominates despite decades of trading automation, how trust and auditability shape adoption, and why freeing specialists from low-value triage work is now a resilience strategy - not a cost one.Drawing on deep experience with global trading firms, Philip explains how AI-driven “digital analysts” can help firms keep pace with rising change volumes, tighter resources and expanding market hours. The conversation sheds light on the cultural shift underway and why contextual intelligence - not just automation - is becoming essential for staying compliant and competitive.

In Financial Markets, where technology moves fast and precision is critical, training is more than onboarding, it’s how firms build lasting capability.In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Tina Kane speaks with Michael Clarke, CEO of Mallon Associates, about the evolving role of practitioner-led learning in shaping productive, resilient technology teams. Together, they explore why traditional, off-the-shelf courses often fall short in complex financial environments, how hybrid working challenges institutional knowledge and why real-world capability, not generic KPIs, should define success.Drawing on decades of partnership with global financial institutions, Michael shares how embedding training within live client environments can accelerate onboarding, improve retention and strengthen both people and systems. The conversation redefines what “productive from day one” really means and why capability, culture and context matter more than ever.

From retail execution to institutional connectivity, the evolution of trading and market data technology is reshaping how financial firms operate. In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host David Berney sits down with Debbie Kaye, Head of UK Trading at Iress, to share her perspectives on how trading desks and market data platforms are adapting to meet evolving regulatory, technology and global financial market drivers like 24/7 trading. This episode explores the unique role of the UK’s RSP (Retail Service Provider) network, the rise of cloud-native connectivity hubs, balancing real-time and historical data demands and the growing influence of AI, interoperability, and regulatory change. As well as reflecting on her career journey to Iress TMD, Debbie gives her insights on the future of 24/7 markets, the power of data analytics and the practical realities and challenges for financial firms in keeping up to speed with the demands of modern financial markets.

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host David Berney is joined by Melissa Watras and Rob Cope from Trillium Surveyors to explore how trade surveillance and best execution analytics are evolving from regulatory necessities into strategic tools for performance and alpha generation. Our guests share perspectives from both trading and compliance backgrounds to examine why legacy systems are no longer fit for purpose, how continuous insights are reshaping best execution committees, and why the future of compliance is about much more than just ticking boxes. We also look ahead to the implications of 24x5 trading, crypto market integrity, and how data-driven oversight is becoming a competitive advantage.

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, Tina Kane is joined by Stéphane Malrait—market structure expert and financial markets technology innovator—for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolution of financial trading, technology innovation and industry leadership. From the early days of electronic FX platforms to today’s fast-evolving AI, digital technologies and regulatory landscape, Stéphane shares insights drawn from an extensive career at leading institutions including JP Morgan, Société Générale, and ING. They also discuss his role at ACI Financial Markets Association, the value of industry collaboration through groups like Quorum 15,  and why the future of finance depends on breaking down communication, connectivity and compliance silos. 

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, Tina Kane is joined by Stéphane Malrait—market structure expert and financial markets technology innovator—for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolution of financial trading, technology innovation and industry leadership. From the early days of electronic FX platforms to today’s fast-evolving AI, digital technologies and regulatory landscape, Stéphane shares insights drawn from an extensive career at leading institutions including JP Morgan, Société Générale, and ING. They also discuss his role at ACI Financial Markets Association, the value of industry collaboration through groups like Quorum 15,  and why the future of finance depends on breaking down communication, connectivity and compliance silos. 

In this episode of Financial Markets Insights, we speak to Andrew Kaufmann, founder of Time to Give Network, a not-for-profit initiative transforming how the financial services community (and its ecosystem) interconnects for the dual benefit of business development and charitable causes.Andrew shares the inspiration behind TGN and how it works, in essence, an ‘exchange’ that matches senior level professionals and thought leaders willing to give up time (Time Givers) with those seeking to connect to them (Time Bidders), in return for a charitable donation. He explains how the model benefits individuals looking to make effective and meaningful business connections, individual and company CSR efforts, and ultimately, charity beneficiaries.The discussion explores the broader impact of TGN in reshaping traditional approaches to business development and industry relationship-building. Andrew also talks about the Network’s growth and expansion strategy, and how it is facilitating a more purpose-driven approach to professional networking.https://www.timetogive.network/