Strategy
05/10/2018

FinXTech Annual Summit: Exploring the Power of Collaboration


fintech-5-9-18.pngBanks are increasingly becoming technology companies—not in the eyes of investors, perhaps—but certainly in terms of meeting the expectations of their customers in a rapidly digitizing consumer marketplace. Banks have been heavy users of technology for decades, but the role of technology in virtually every corner of the bank, from operations to distribution, to product design, lending and compliance, is taking on a greater strategic importance.

It was only a few years ago that an emerging fintech sector was viewed by many bankers as a competitive threat, particularly marketplace lenders like Lending Club and SoFi, or new payments options offered by the likes of Apple Pay and Venmo, PayPal’s successful P2P product. While those competitive threats still exist, the focus of most banks today is working with fintech companies in collaborative relationships that benefit both sides. Banks are facing enormous pressure from changing consumer demographics and preferences to develop new products and services that go well beyond what they have traditionally created on their own. The new ideas include more than just new applications that enhance or expand an institution’s mobile banking capability, an area that continues to receive a lot attention. With developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, banks are able to bring greater efficiencies and effectiveness to such disparate activities as regulatory compliance and accounts payable.

There are challenges to a partnership approach, however, beginning with the necessity to fully vet the potential fintech partner in a thorough due diligence process. Banks are conservative by nature, while many of the fintech companies developing the systems and applications that enable banks to stay abreast of the rapidly evolving digital economy are quite young and culturally different. Banks that want to work with fintech companies will have to do the necessary due diligence while also bridging the culture gap.

The benefits, and challenges, of working collaboratively with fintech companies will be the focus of Bank Director’s FinXTech Annual Summit, which will take place May 10-11 at The Phoenician resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. The agenda kicks off with back-to-back peer exchange discussions on the dynamics of fintech partnerships and changes in consumer behavior, then provides both general session presentations and case study sessions that examine such topics as innovation, AI, automation in commercial lending, vendor contract management, the digital robotic workforce and the future of the branch in an increasingly digitized world.

Also occurring at the Summit will be the announcement of Bank Director’s 2018 Best of FinXTech Awards, which will be given to banks and their fintech partners for projects where they worked together in a collaborative relationship. From a list 10 finalists, awards will be given a bank and its fintech partner in each of the following award categories: Startup Innovation, Innovative Solution of the Year and Best of FinXTech Partnership.

WRITTEN BY

Jack Milligan

Editor-at-Large

Jack Milligan is editor-at-large of Bank Director magazine, a position to which he brings over 40 years of experience in financial journalism organizations. Mr. Milligan directs Bank Director’s editorial coverage and leads its director training efforts. He has a master’s degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University.