Financial Markets iNSiGHTS

36: The Payments Shake-Up: Regulation, Real-Time, and Reinvention

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Tina Kane speaks with Christian K. Schwarz, Head of Banking and Payment Services, about how Europe’s payments landscape is being reshaped as instant payments become mandatory and financial institutions face mounting pressure to modernise legacy infrastructure. They discuss the scale of regulatory change, the challenges of transitioning to real-time, 24/7 processing, and how workflow orchestration can help banks meet new requirements without replacing core systems. The conversation also examines growing competition from fintech challengers, the erosion of traditional revenue streams such as FX, and the strategic risks facing banks that fail to adapt. The episode further explores the rise of stablecoins, tokenisation and alternative payment rails, and why data, interoperability and innovation beyond regulation will be critical for banks looking to remain competitive in an increasingly fast-moving and fragmented payments ecosystem.

35: Speed Is Solved. Certainty Is Not - The Hidden Risk Layer Behind Modern Financial Markets

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Tina Kane speaks to Kevin Formby, VP of Finance and Capital Markets Solutions at Keysight Technologies, about the growing importance of observability, precision measurement and time accuracy in modern trading infrastructure. They explore how, despite ever-increasing speed and shrinking latency, many firms still don’t have a full picture or understanding of what is happening inside their systems. Kevin explains why measuring speed - rather than latency-related outcomes - creates an “illusion of control,” and how hidden inefficiencies across complex, fragmented infrastructures can impact performance, fairness and resilience.  The conversation delves into the application in financial markets of ultra-precise time synchronisation technologies developed originally for “rocket science”, defence and  telecommunications industries, reinforcing why firms must move beyond speed as a primary metric to a broader focus on visibility, determinism and trust.  As markets evolve toward greater automation, continuous trading and tighter regulatory scrutiny, the depth with which market participants can see measure and explain system behaviours will be an increasing competitive and operational advantage.

34: From Fragmentation to Finality in Frontier Market FX

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Tina Kane speaks with Emmanuel Ashirifi, founder and CEO of Sika Financial Group, about the challenges of FX liquidity - and efficient settlement - in emerging and frontier markets. They discuss how fragmented, manual settlement processes impact working capital liquidity, strain national foreign exchange reserves and impact cross-border trade flow. Emmanuel explains why extending mature-market models isn’t the right approach in these markets, and how purpose-built settlement infrastructure reflecting the particular nuances of less developed economies can bring greater trust, transparency and resilience to trading and supply chain lifecycles, and better meet the needs of financial market participants underserved by current financial market infrastructures.

33: How AI Is Reshaping the Market Data Backbone

In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Clive Posselt speaks with Philip William, Chief Product Officer at AiMi, about how firms are rethinking this challenge through automation and agentic AI. They explore why manual interpretation still dominates despite decades of trading automation, how trust and auditability shape adoption, and why freeing specialists from low-value triage work is now a resilience strategy - not a cost one. Drawing on deep experience with global trading firms, Philip explains how AI-driven “digital analysts” can help firms keep pace with rising change volumes, tighter resources and expanding market hours. The conversation sheds light on the cultural shift underway and why contextual intelligence - not just automation - is becoming essential for staying compliant and competitive.

32: From Code to Culture: Building Real Capability in Financial Technology Teams

In Financial Markets, where technology moves fast and precision is critical, training is more than onboarding, it’s how firms build lasting capability. In this episode of Financial Markets iNSiGHTS, host Tina Kane speaks with Michael Clarke, CEO of Mallon Associates, about the evolving role of practitioner-led learning in shaping productive, resilient technology teams. Together, they explore why traditional, off-the-shelf courses often fall short in complex financial environments, how hybrid working challenges institutional knowledge and why real-world capability, not generic KPIs, should define success. Drawing on decades of partnership with global financial institutions, Michael shares how embedding training within live client environments can accelerate onboarding, improve retention and strengthen both people and systems. The conversation redefines what “productive from day one” really means and why capability, culture and context matter more than ever.