What: Emoney & Payment Services: Role of the Board and Business in Providing Central Bank of Ireland Attestation

When: Wednesday 2nd March 2022. 09:30 to 10:30am (Irish time) 

Where: Online Event

Cost: Free

Registration: If you missed the opportunity to register for the event at Eventbrite, don't worry, you can register via this Zoom link here https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LLLpSAqDR_mfYape-eDWbw​



Who Should Attend: The Directors of Boards (PCF1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 particularly the Independent Non-Executive Directors & Chairpersons), Chief Executive Officers (PCF-8), Chief Operating Officers (PCF-42), Heads of Risk Function (PCF-14), Head of Compliance (PCF-12), Heads of Compliance with AML/CFT responsibility (PCF-15), Heads of Internal Audit (PCF-13), Heads of Finance Function (PCF-11), Heads of Legal and others who will be involved in the review and attestation process.  In addition, if you are one of the many payments/emoney firms in the Central Bank's authorisation pipeline or a person who is looking to become an INED at an emoney/payments firm, this event might help gain a deeper understanding of certain regulatory issues.

No later than 31 March 2022, the Boards of authorised electronic money and authorised payment institutions  must attest to the completion and conclusion of a comprehensive assessment of their firm’s compliance with: (1) the firm’s safeguarding obligations under Regulation 17 of the PSR and Regulation 29-31 of the EMR; and (2) the conditions of the firm's authorisation.  This requirement is set out in the Central Bank of Ireland's Dear CEO Letter of 9 December 2021 on Supervisory Expectations for Payment and Electronic Money (E-Money) Firms.

However the Central Bank has not provided any prescribed wording for the attestation.

Join Peter Oakes, Founder of Fintech Ireland, Simon McFeely, Chief Risk Officer, TransferMate and Malachy Kearney, Partner Clark Hill for an in-depth discussion on the Central Bank of Ireland's Dear CEO letter and insights into what Boards and Businesses may wish to consider when preparing to provide the attestation to the Central Bank of Ireland.  

Furthermore the Central Bank expects the Board to oversee this review and to consider the conclusions and any remediation actions emanating from it. If any issues are identified as part of this review, a Board approved remediation plan must be put in place which ensures timely resolution of the issues.   

In addition to the above, the Central Bank of Ireland also sets out in its letter of 9th December 2021 numerous supervisory expectations under the following headings:

1. Governance and Risk Management 
2. Conduct and Culture
3. Safeguarding
4. Business Model and Financial Resilience
5. Operational Resilience
6. Financial Crime 
7. Resolution and Wind-Up

In the final paragraph of its letter, the Central Bank of Ireland reminded Payment and E-Money firms that they are important participants in the financial system and are expected to be able to demonstrate that they are executing their business in a manner consistent with their legislative and regulatory obligations at all times. Those requirements include These the supervisory expectations set out by the Central Bank in its letter. Importantly the Central Bank reminded that 'as breaches of regulatory requirements may result in customer detriment and/or disruption to the financial system, it is imperative that all necessary steps to ensure ongoing compliance are taken and that the consequences of non-compliance, including in terms of the use of the Central Bank’s powers, are understood by Boards.' 

This event will discuss various approaches that regulated firms may wish to consider in having their Boards attest the completion and conclusion of this assessment must be provided to the Central Bank by 31 March 2022.

SLIDES - Click Here

Fintech Abu Dhabi Festival
Roundtable: Scaling a FinTech:  When and How Should Entrepreneurs Transition from Founder to CEO Mindset?

What: "Scaling a FinTech:  When and How Should Entrepreneurs Transition from Founder to CEO Mindset?" at the Fintech Abu Dhabi Festival 2020
When: Tuesday 24th November 2020  at 1300 Abu Dhabi time / 0800 Irish - UK time
Where: Online Event
Cost: Free
Registration: https://www.fintechabudhabi.com/your-fintech100-forum-invitation

Description:  Roundtable: 'Scaling a FinTech: When and How Should Entrepreneurs Transition from Founder to CEO Mindset?' at #FintechAbuDhabi

In a few days the Festival will commence. This is a brilliant opportunity for #Fintech in Ireland & the UK to learn from, & network with Fintechs from all over the globe. FinTech Abu Dhabi is hosted by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) & the Central Bank of The UAE. We & numerous Irish & UK #fintech companies had a great time attending in person last year. Due to Covid-19, we'll be joining the Festival virtually.  We pitched the Roundtable topic to Unbound - powering MENA's Leading Fintech Festival. Delighted that they agreed the topic be slated for 24 November at 1pm (UAE time) / 9am (Irish/UK time).

Register here and read all about the Festival here.

About: The role of a CEO is challenging at the best of times, but for FinTech start-ups the biggest challenge is often the transition from start-up Founder to start-up CEO, to scaling & then to the investable CEO. We'll discuss how the Founder needs to be capable of moving from visionary Founder to becoming a strategic leader & delegator while not losing sight of the company’s purpose.

Discussion points:

• Keeping a good grasp of the business.
• Maintaining a fundamental understanding of the FinTech’s technology capabilities
• Managing evolving and emerging stakeholders needs and demands
• Empowering the team to do their jobs so that the CEO can do her/his job
• How should a CEO decouple from the emotional attachment idea she/he founded?

​
​Thanks Nahil Hanna

Slides: password for slides provided to attendees

Future of Financial Technology: Fintech Ecosystem

What: Future of Financial Technology: The Fintech Ecosystem for STC, Saudi Arabia
When: Tuesday 17th November 2020  
Where: Online Event
Cost: Free
Registration: PRIVATE - for STC Employees only.  
Slides:  The slides are available here and are PASSWORD PROTECTED.  Password has been provided to STC attendees.

Content:
1.  An overview of drivers of Fintech
2.  Examples of Fintech Ecosystems

• ◦sample of ecosystems maps

3.  Incumbents – digitizing their services & products
4.  Disrupters – the new innovators disrupting traditional financial services
5.  Collaboration
6.  Funding / Investing
7.  Ecommerce and the impact of Covid-19 
8.  Payments and E-Wallets

• from mobile to apps
• faster and frictionless payments
• growth in contactless payments

9.  Distributed Ledger Technology
10.  Defi – Decentralised Finance
11.  Private v Public – Crypto
12.  Telecoms/Techfins
13.  A & Q ​

Finance Directors changing environment:  The future of payments Session

Chair: Peter Oakes, Founder of Fintech Ireland and Director of Regulated Firms 
Panel:

• Ger O’Sullivan, Rob MacTighearnain  
  
• Jason Coady, Finance Director, SAP Ireland  
  
• John Irwin, General Manager, Modulr Finance Europe  
  
• Valerie Plant, Programme Director IFMS/Assistant CFO, HSE 

Bio: Peter Oakes is a non-executive director of leading regulated fintechs including TransferMate, Optal Financial and Susquehanna International and recently joined the board as Chairman of AWM Wealth Advisers. Collectively these cutting-edge fintechs operate in the MIFID, payments and e-money industries. Peter has also served as board adviser to Regtechs including currently, Mizen Group and fintechs in the banking and wealth management space. Peter established the Fintech Ireland network in 2013 to give a unique identity to the promotion and facilitation of the fintech scene in Ireland and to promotes the Irish fintech scene globally. Fintech Ireland is independent and is connected throughout the fintech ecosystem locally and internationally to fintech startups, C-Suite fintech professionals at traditional and challenger institutions, innovation hubs, accelerators, trade bodies, governments, embassies and investors. Following the success of Fintech Ireland, Peter has established Fintech UK which is supported by Kerman & Co. Peter is a Member of the Fintech50 Panel which curates the annual list of the 50 hottest FinTech companies in Europe. Peter consults on fintech/regtech, financial services regulation, enforcement and business strategy and advises the Irish operations of US law firm Clark Hill and UK law firm Kerman & Co on regulation, governance and fintech. Peter is speaks and moderates at international fintech and governance conferences in Ireland, the UK, the USA and UAE. Peter has 30 years experience working as a regulator, central banker, senior executive director and non-executive director in financial services, including Director (Enforcement & Financial Crime) at the Central Bank of Ireland (2010-2013) and Chief Risk Officer at Bank of America Merchant Services Europe

Fintech: How Digital Disruption is Driving Innovation in Financial Services

Listen - click here or the image above.

Fintech is causing disruption to financial services as new companies enter the market targeting different areas of the value chain. Both technological advancement and customer expectations are moving fast resulting in innovation and ultimately a better service offering to consumers.
In this episode of dotLAB Radio, Peter Oakes (Founder, Fintech Ireland) and Peter O’Halloran (Fintech Ireland Ambassador) discuss fintech, digital disruption in financial services, and future fintech trends.
We also cover the following areas:
​

• Fintech, cryptocurrencies and challenger banks
• Disruption in financial services and the growth of fintech companies
• Fintech for Good
• Crowdfunding and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending
• Major fintech trends
• Meeting the Fintech skills gap