FSClub’s London Agenda, Spring 2011

 

Here's a summary of the meetings we have planned for Spring 2011 in the Financial Services Club London, with more details following after.  

If you want to attend any of these events, just click here and choose the event you want to join.

12th January 2011
“An update on EU financial services legislation and associated initiatives”
Dr. David Doyle, EU Policy Advisor on Financial Markets

8th February 2011
“Is SEPA happening and does it matter?”
A panel discussion with:
Fred Bar, Director, Vocalink
Ruth Wandhofer, Head of EMEA transaction services, Citibank
Simon Bailey, Director, Logica
Paul Smee, Chief Executive, the Payments Council

23rd February 2011, Quarterly Dinner
“What a cashless world is like in reality”
Peter Ayliffe, CEO, Visa Europe

9th March 2011
“The Future Competitiveness of the City of London”
Chris Cummings, CEO, TheCityUK

10th March, with Intellect
“Technology Trends: Cloud Computing”
A panel discussion with Microsoft, Cisco and more

15th March 2011, Quarterly Dinner
“The madness of launching a new bank”
Vernon Hill, Deputy Chairman, Metro Bank

5th April 2011
“The role of the media: is their portrayal of the banking system fair?”
Angela Knight, Chief Executive of The British Bankers' Association

 

If you want to attend any of these events, just click here and choose the event you want to join.

 

12th January 2011
“An update on EU financial services legislation and associated initiatives”
Dr. David Doyle, EU Policy Advisor on Financial Markets

On 12th January, David Doyle, an old friend of the FSClub, will return to update us on the latest thinking in Europe about Directives and regulations and, with a new regime in Brussels under Michel Barnier, this meeting should prove more timely and relevant than ever.

David is known across Europe as a leading expert on EU financial market regulation and has an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the critical aspects we face today such as MiFID and SEPA. He is a former diplomat with over 20 years of service on mainland Europe and now acts as an EU Policy Advisor between Brussels, London and Paris, specialising in EU Financial Services. He is a member of the Executive Board of the joint MEP-EU industry “The Kangaroo Group” at the European Parliament, the Board of Directors of the Genesis Initiative at Westminster, and sits on the Transatlantic Business Dialogue Taskforce on Capital Markets and the Corporation of London EU Regulatory Working Group.

In a must attend event, David will guide us through Brussels 2011 and their forward looking agenda.

 

If you want to attend any of these events, just click here and choose the event you want to join.

 

8th February 2011
“Is SEPA happening and does it matter?”

A panel discussion with:

• Fred Bar, Director, Vocalink
• Ruth Wandhofer, Head of EMEA transaction services, Citibank
• Simon Bailey, Director, Logica
• Paul Smee, Chief Executive, the Payments Council

Started in 2002, in response to the Lisbon Agenda and Regulations on fees for cross-border cash withdrawals, the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) has been in the planning for a long time. In fact, it has been discussed for so long by so many that, for a lot of people, it’s become as dull as dishwater.

This view may be wrong though as we now have an end-date ... well ... maybe. The European Commission announced that SEPA instruments would be mandatory from one year after the legislation is ratified for credit transfers and two years for direct debits.

So all is good is it not?

Or maybe it is not as, according to the survey the Financial Services Club performed during the Autumn, most nations and most banks believe the program has fallen off the rails.

What is the truth? Is SEPA here? Even if it is, does it actually matter?

To find out the truth, the Financial Services Club has gathered some of Europe’s most preeminent commentators and activists in the SEPA discussion to provide insight and understanding.

 

If you want to attend any of these events, just click here and choose the event you want to join.

 

23rd February 2011, Quarterly Dinner
“What a cashless world is like in reality”
Peter Ayliffe, CEO, Visa Europe

In March 2007, Peter forecasted that, by 2012, using credit and debit cards should be cheaper and more convenient than cash. In fact, he was widely quoted as believing that paying for goods with notes and coins could be consigned to history as some retailers would start surcharging customers who pay with cash because of the greater cost of processing these payments.

Three years later, cheques are going to be consigned to history and contactless payments are poised for growth as Apple and Google enter the markets, but Peter’s cashless vision of 2007 still seems far away. So where exactly are we, and how far away from a cashless future are we?

Peter will provide an updated view.

Peter Joined Visa Europe in 2006. He has driven increased customer focus, moving more people to the frontline of the business and creating Centres of Excellence to improve the provision of innovative, value-creating solutions. He previously spent more than 20 years with Lloyds TSB, a leading UK bank, where he held a number of executive posts in the bank’s retail business, culminating in his appointment as a group board director.

Peter also spent five years as a non-executive director on the Visa Europe board. He has a degree in economics from Manchester University. Peter is also a non-executive director for Investor in People. He was named Industry Personality of the Year at The Card Awards 2009.

 

If you want to attend any of these events, just click here and choose the event you want to join.

 

9th March 2011
“The Future Competitiveness of the City of London” 
Chris Cummings, CEO, TheCityUK

TheCityUK was established in 2010, bringing together the two former bodies of International Financial Services London (IFSL) and the UKTI's Financial Services Sector Advisory Board (FSSAB).

TheCityUK has the objectives to support the UK financial and professional services sectors:

• overseas - by promoting the UK in overseas markets as a world-class centre for financial services;

• at home - by building a deeper pool of support for the financial services industry and its contribution to the wider economy and society as a whole; and

• in regulation and market access negotiations - by providing a voice for the sector and working to improve access to overseas markets for UK firms.

It is an independent body, established with the support of the City of London Corporation and in consultation with government and industry.

Chris Cummings took up the post of Chief Executive of TheCityUK in September 2010. TheCityUK is an independent, national membership body which was recently formed to promote the UK financial and related professional services industry and deliver a sustainable and successful industry at the heart of UK plc.

Prior to this, Chris was the Director General of the Association of Independent Financial Advisers which represents over 80% of the advisory profession with members across the investment, savings, mortgage, loans and protection markets. Chris was the founder Director of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries and launched the Association of Finance Brokers.

Prior to joining AIFA, Chris spent the majority of his career in management consulting working at PwC and Mercer Management Consulting. He advised clients across the financial services spectrum and various government departments. He also spent time in banking and insurance with Sun Bank and PPP Healthcare.

He advises the Treasury on financial services, has written two books on financial services regulation, and is a regular columnist, commentator, and speaker on financial and regulatory issues.

 

If you want to attend any of these events, just click here and choose the event you want to join.

 

10th March, with Intellect
“Technology Trends: Cloud Computing”
A panel discussion with Microsoft, Cisco and more

Cloud computing in financial services has been discussed for a while now and will come of age in banking in 2011. This is down to a focus upon cost management and moving to operational rather than capital expenditure for services as required.

This is a critical point this year, and is even more critical as no bank can be constrained in their ability to respond to change in 2011. Any bank with systems constraints today will need to break out of those chains.

This is a major focal point as the uncertain regulatory agenda becomes even more fragmented and frictionful. As a result of this agenda, banks will be snowed under the weight of organisational, process and systems changes required to keep up and therefore business agility will continue to be the mantra.

Any bank that cannot create new applications for offering and delivering new services and experiences for their customers; dealing with their workflows and processes for their staff; reporting and profiling their operational management for their management; auditing and monitoring their processes for their regulators; and delivering all of this in real-time, will find that they do not have the systems excellence to keep up with the demands of 21st century banking.

This is why 2011 is the year of the cloud.

To discuss this point, we have assembled leading experts from Microsoft, Cisco and more to debate the role and application of cloud services across the financial sector.

 

If you want to attend any of these events, just click here and choose the event you want to join.

 

15th March 2011, Quarterly Dinner
“The madness of launching a new bank”
Vernon Hill, Deputy Chairman, Metro Bank

Metro Bank launched in 2010, and is the first new retail bank to launch in Britain in most people’s memories. Now with multiple branches across London, a second round of funding successfully completed, and an ambition to topple the traditional banks over time through their retailing approach, Metro are already making a mark with a difference.

What is their difference? Well, it’s embodied by found and Deputy Chairman Vernon Hill, who has done it all before.

Vernon Hill founded Commerce Bank in 1973. By background, he was a fast-food restaurant franchise owner and graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Bringing his fast food convenience to banking, Vernon expanded Commerce from one location to over 435 in thirty-three years. Now he’s over here, with the launch of Metro Bank in the summer of 2010.

In this wide ranging conversation, Vernon will discuss why he has made a success in banking, based upon the philosophy of being a retailer, not a banker.

 

If you want to attend any of these events, just click here and choose the event you want to join.

 

5th April 2011
“The role of the media: is their portrayal of the banking system fair?”
Angela Knight, Chief Executive of The British Bankers' Association

During this crisis, there has been lots of debate about banking practices, bonuses, morals, ethics and more. Every day the media attacks some part of the system as being corrupt or inappropriate, but is this really the case or is it just some media? Is the industry abusing its powers or does it play by the rules and play fair?

In a reflection of the last three years of trials and tribulations across the financial sector, Angela Knight, Chief Executive of The British Bankers' Association will discuss her personal perspective on these developments.

After leaving Bristol University with an honours degree in chemistry, Angela worked for the American industrial gas company Air Products Ltd. She was the product development manager for the application and sales of nitrogen as an inert carrier during the treatment of ferrous metal components.

She went on to set up and was Chief Executive of a specialist contract heat treatment company treating precision engineering components - Cook & Knight Metallurgical Processors Ltd - and associated process plant manufacturing company.

From 1987 to 1992 she was Councillor and Chief Whip on Sheffield City Council.

She entered Parliament in 1992 as MP for Erewash and was Economic Secretary to the Treasury between 1995 and 1997, when she lost her seat at the General Election.

She was the Chief Executive of the Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Stockbrokers from September 1997 to December 2006.

She is currently the Chief Executive of the British Bankers Association. She is also a non-executive director on the boards of IFSL, Brewin Dolphin plc and the Financial Services Skills Council.

 

If you want to attend any of these events, just click here and choose the event you want to join.