Sessions, speakers, and timing are subject to change.  Click here to view the event schedule.  

Branch Transformation

• Redefining The Branch: Thriving in The Digital Age
  With technology commoditising financial services, a forward- looking branch strategy enables FIs to differentiate by focusing on in-person services and illustrating their commitment to their local communities. What is the right strategy which can drive growth and future proof the branch in the digital age?
  Wayne Measor, Director of Retail and Transformation, Yorkshire Building Society 
  Andrew Gall, Head of Savings and Economics, Building Society Association
  Stuart Fearn, Community Banking Consultant
   
• Transforming Retail Banking: Bank Branch Systems Modernisation
  This panel focuses on how FIs can upgrade tradition banking systems to enhance customer experience and improve operational agility. It explores innovative technologies and digital transformation strategies so that banks can transcend physical limitations and offer seamless, personalised banking experiences. 
   
• Integrating Physical and Digital Channels To Enhance Customer Centricity
  Novobano has invested in an innovative distribution model which has transformed the way customers transact with the bank. By harnessing technology customers can choose the most convenient way to interact with the bank, whether at the branch, via the website or the mobile app. What has been the key to its transformation success?
  Nuno Corado, Marketing Director - Head of Retail, novobanco
   
• Delivering a Branch Strategy for Positive Customer and Community Impact
  By investing in local communities and maintaining a robust presence on the high street, financial institutions can demonstrate their commitment to putting their customers first. A creative and innovative branch strategy also makes good business sense as branches are seen by customers as a symbol of stability and are therefore used for higher value transactions and services. Against a backdrop of rising overheads and the growth of digital banking, what are the hallmarks of a successful branch strategy?
  Julie-Ann Haines, CEO, Principality Building Society
   
• Exceptional Customer Service for Kinder Banking and Customer Centricity
  Service delivery in banking will continue to evolve but branches remain a fundamental part of how Cumberland Building Society provides excellent an excellent customer experience. People want choice and not everyone wants to use apps with many customers preferring face-to-face interaction in a branch or speaking to a real person at the end of a telephone line. Real life interactions are invaluable to customer centricity and give the building society the opportunity to demonstrate kinder banking in action.
  Des Moore, CEO, Cumberland Building Society

Business Model Innovation

• Driving Customer Innovation Through CVCs
  Corporate venture capital, the investment of corporate funds directly into external startups, has helped corporations deploy successful innovation strategies. CVC is used in several top-end companies, such as Intel and Google, generating outstanding strategic and financial returns. However, several companies, including TotalEnergies, Microsoft's M12, and Verizon, have started paring down their portfolios. Is CVC dying then? Can it still help you transform your organization? If so, how do you structure a successful corporate venture capital fund so that it achieves your specific, established goals?
  Philippe Daoust, Managing Director and Head of Innovation, National Bank of Canada
   
• Moving From Hype to Customer Value: How will genAI revolutionize Retail Banking?
  While AI has played a pivotal role in banking transformation for a number of years, the emergence of AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Claude has thrust generative AI into the spotlight. GenAI differs from AI because it generate new and original content and so can be used by banks to supercharge customer-facing chatbots, prevent fraud and speed up time-consuming tasks. With most FIs yet to launch GenAI tools, this session discusses what a successful GenAI strategy should look like. What are the possible rewards and what are the pitfalls to be avoided?
   
• Driving Customer Engagement in a Digital-First World
  The increasingly omnichannel customer engagement model requires retail banks to reconsider how they win and serve their customers, the role digital plays in and outside of the branch, and how to create greater value. 
   
• Harnessing Innovation to Put the Customer at the Center in Banking
  In this session, we explore how digital tools and platforms can enhance customer experiences, streamline services, and provide personalized banking solutions.
  Miguel Díez Asenjo, Group Vice President, Transformation, Retail and Commercial Banking, Santander
   
• Implementing ID Transformation to Improve the Customer Experience
  Digital ID presents significant opportunities for banks to enhance the customer experience and streamline operations. It enables more customer centric processes, streamlining authentication, and registration processes. Leveraging digital ID also enhances risk management, streamlining KYC processes and enhancing protection against cyber threats. In this session to look at how Swedbank implemented ID transformation and ask why customer behaviours are important. We discuss the lessons learned from the project’s implementation.
  Igoris Ryklys, Head of Digital Channels Baltic Banking, Swedbank (Lithuania)

Customer Experience

• How cash is fueling the new wave of financial inclusion
  Access to physical cash remains in demand in both developed and developing nations; indeed the pendulum is now swinging back to a more balanced approach between digital and physical payment forms. Given the focus on access to cash in the UK, this session highlights how FIs are ensuring financial inclusion for their customers. We'll look beyond the UK to include examples from other countries and explore how strategic partnerships are helping to support these initiatives.
  Stuart Mackinnon, CEO, NCR, Atleos
   
• Unleashing the Power of Video Calls: How Neuromarketing Can Help Create an Exceptional Customer Experience
  Kuveyt Turk is the first and only Turkish bank to have a neuromarketing lab with all fully-fledged features. This presentation delves into a neuromarketing study aimed at understanding the cognitive and emotional responses of our digital sales representatives during video call interactions with customers. By utilizing advanced neuroscience techniques, such as eye-tracking and EEG, the study provides insights into how various elements of the video call experience - such as customer appearance and interface design - affect employee engagement and satisfaction. The findings offer valuable implications for enhancing digital customer service strategies and optimizing the user experience in video call environments.
  Dr. Okan Acar, Head of Digital Banking Group, Kuveyt Türk
   
• Dynamic Ways to Improve the Customer Experience in the Branch
  Customer experience is the key competitive differentiator; this is particularly true in the branch. As services digitise, customers are less likely to need to come into the branch for transactional needs. Banks need to find ways to enhance and improve branch experiences so that they can continue to engage positively with their customers in person. 
   
• Mastering the Art of Customer Engagement and Retention
  This panel will discuss why FIs struggle to keep up with the needs of their clients, especially around the most popular and important products, and why it is more critical than ever to modernise every product and every touchpoint. 
   
• Navigating Open Banking, BNPL, Card Payment Competition and the Digital Consumer: Opportunities for Traditional Banks
  Open banking, competition for card payments, BNPL, an increasingly digital consumer, and more have changed the banking landscape forever and left many traditional banks feeling left out. This panel will discuss ways traditional banks can turn these challenges into opportunities.
   
• The Importance of Customer-Centric Approaches to Financial Wellbeing and Financial Inclusion
  This session on financial wellbeing and inclusion emphasize the importance of customer-centric approaches. What are the best strategies to enhance financial access and literacy, and ensure services meet diverse customer needs? Key themes include leveraging technology for personalized solutions and fostering trust through transparent practices. The industry should be aiming to create a more inclusive financial ecosystem for all.
  Dawn Bailey, Head of Financial Wellbeing, Bank of Ireland

Payments Modernisation

• Digital Wallets on the Rise
   Digital wallets have become a dominant form of payments in many markets. In nearly every market, digital wallet usage is growing fast.  How will the “pays” (Apple/Google/Samsung) play with pure-play digital wallets such as PayPal and Amazon, and what can we expect as digital wallets become increasingly essential for bank customers? 
   
• Streamlining Payment Processing with Payment Hubs 
  Payment modernisation is a strategic priority for banks. Yet, they struggle with the growing complexity of the business and the burden of keeping up with regulatory and industry requirements (think instant payments, PSD3 and PSR, ISO20022, etc). Banks should consider investing in payment hub technology to streamline payment processing across multiple payment types, obtain a single view of the customer, and reduce time to market for new product launches.
   
• Fighting Fraud with Automation in the Digital Bank
  The flood of data breaches in recent years has resulted in escalating threats of fraud and cyberattacks in financial services. Meanwhile, consumer expectations compel financial institutions to provide modern, digital customer experiences. Authoritative, accurate, and automated processes in areas such as identity verification can combat criminal activity while also helping increase customer conversion rates.
   
• Payment Orchestration and the Evolution of the Payment Space
  Merchants have to deal with an increasingly complex payments ecosystem. Companies want the flexibility to harmonise their payments processing, profit from local market conditions for better authorisation rates and cost reduction, minimise operational risk and simplify acquiring relationships when possible. One viable option to achieve these goals is to work with a payment orchestrator that can offer merchants or PSPs a platform to efficiently manage a diverse range of payment methods, providers, and channels within a unified platform to ensure seamless payment processing for businesses. How will the plethora of payment alternatives impact the retail customer experience and banks around the globe?

Self-Service Banking

• Optimising Self-Service Transactions to Transform the Retail Branch Model
  A robust self-service network can provide FIs with new ways to optimise costs. Moreover, strategically deployed ATMs can supplement reduced branch networks, maintaining brand presence and providing not just cash services but also enhanced remote services.
   
• Maintaining Customer Access to Cash: Navigating Rising Costs and ATM Fee Challenges
  Branch closures and the falling number of ATMs give rise to growing concerns over “cash deserts” in Europe. Local communities are being left with little access to notes and coins. With escalating hardware, software and CIT expenses, the cost of an ATM cash transaction is rising every year ATM. Yet, interchange fees, which ensure ATM operators are compensated for the costs of maintaining and servicing ATMs, are not. Deployers are removing terminals as a result. However, ATMs are still the single best cash distribution network in the world, so how can the industry ensure that cash deserts are avoided and access to cash is maintained across all communities?
   
• Cash Recycling to Improve the Customer Experience
  Cash recycling technology automates the handling of cash deposits and withdrawals, enhancing efficiency and security. By recycling cash within ATMs and other machines, businesses can reduce operational costs, minimize downtime, and ensure a steady cash flow. This leads to shorter wait times, increased convenience, and a more seamless customer experience. Implementing cash recycling systems not only optimizes cash management but also boosts customer satisfaction and loyalty. 
  Peter Seitz, Channel and Retail Strategy, Channel Management Self-Service, Erste Bank
   
• Leveraging CCDMs to Enhance Efficiency, Customer Experience and Operations
  BankIslami launched its cash and cheque deposit machines (CCDMs) in 2022. The machnes have several innovative features that were new in Pakistan including cash enchashment, multi denominication dispsensing, and video tellers. The CCDMs esxtend access to cash services both in terms of service hours and geography. Find out how the bank successfully managed the rollout of these new self-service machines and how it dealt with any challenges it met along the way.
  Bilal Fiaz, Group Head Consumer Banking, BankIslami