Chris Skinner's blog

Shaping the future of finance

Opinion

Big Data is all about knowing what questions to ask

Like everyone, I was shocked by the news of the Westgate Shopping Mall shootings in Nairobi, Kenya. The real shock is how they determined who to shoot, singling out individuals and asking whether they could name the Prophet Muhammad’s mother: Reports from separate floors of the building in the first hours of the assault told…

Some banks are run by nutters

There’s a new book out about Fred Goodwin, the former Knight of the Realm. It shows what a control freak he was. How come no-one spoke up at the time? Because he was some form of sociopath apparently. I’ve mentioned this before – is your boss a demented maniac? – but Fred shows all the traits…

Bank systems are not safe (anymore)

I used to think that we were good at designing systems.  We would phase test them, user test them, stress test them and more, and eventually we would roll out the system and it would work.  And life was good. Then we started getting into a new world of developments where systems relied on networks,…

Disaster-recovery-300x265

Bank systems are not safe (anymore)

I used to think that we were good at designing systems.  We would phase test them, user test them, stress test them and more, and eventually we would roll out the system and it would work.  And life was good. Then we started getting into a new world of developments where systems relied on networks,…

Disaster-recovery-300x265

Bank customers: vulnerable victims or gullible gimps?

I must admit, having listened to Jeremy Roe regarding banks mis-selling swaps contracts along with Which? and the leader of bank employee union Unite talking about how general staff and customers feel about mis-selling, I’m a little bit cynical. Have banks behaved badly or are customers a little bit stupid? This occurred to me after writing up Jeremy’s…

Pickpocket

Why ALL banks will change core systems

There's a theme that keeps cropping up at most conferences I attend around the remodelling of banks. It came up again today in a discussion about data leverage at the Asian Banker Summit, and it occurred to me again recently, when I chaired the future focused day at IPS 2013. The theme is how do…

WTF

Why ALL banks will change core systems

There's a theme that keeps cropping up at most conferences I attend around the remodelling of banks. It came up again today in a discussion about data leverage at the Asian Banker Summit, and it occurred to me again recently, when I chaired the future focused day at IPS 2013. The theme is how do…

WTF

Why banks MUST wake up to the mobile social revolution

I was asked to join a panel discussion on social media during a recent conference. A social media masterclass, as it was called. Interesting. Sure, I’ve been blogging and tweeting and facebooking for as long as I can remember, but does that make me a master of social media? I don’t know, but here’s what…

Old Bank

Why banks MUST wake up to the mobile social revolution

I was asked to join a panel discussion on social media during a recent conference. A social media masterclass, as it was called. Interesting. Sure, I’ve been blogging and tweeting and facebooking for as long as I can remember, but does that make me a master of social media? I don’t know, but here’s what…

Old Bank

Some fintech firms’ marketing stinks

There’s an old saying that cropped up the other day in respect of Margaret Thatcher’s son, Mark. It was a joking reference by Margaret that her son was so clever he could sell “snow to eskimos or sand to Arabs” or, as one wag put it, arms to anyone. Anyways, it’s a message worth remembering as…

Sun headline