The summer solstice is on the horizon, a time of brightness and growth, both in nature and in our community. The history of the City of London goes beyond finance; it also boasts a rich literary history so join us on Tuesday, 25 June for a walking tour to Discover The Literary Heart Of The City Of London. We are also thrilled to welcome a Korean delegation to London from the Financial Services Commission and Centre For International Financial Cooperation on Wednesday, 17 July for a UK-Korea Finance Forum. If you work in finance or regulation, express your interest in attending by emailing Charlotte Dawber-Ashley. Follow us on LinkedIn @ Z/Yen Group Limited for the latest updates on our webinars and events and why not grab your favourite summer refreshment, find a cosy spot in the sun and enjoy reading our June highlights.
Charlotte Dawber-Ashley (Manager, FS Club) & The Team at Z/Yen

Knowledge Miles: The 695th Lord Mayor's Lectures

Z/Yen Group are delighted that our Chairman, Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli, is serving as the 695th Lord Mayor of the City of London for the year 2023/2024. As part of Michael’s working theme, we are running Knowledge Miles: The 695th Lord Mayor's Lecture Series, an online webinar series exploring the connections of the Square Mile and its role as "The World's Coffeehouse" addressing diverse global challenges. Please see the table below for February's lectures and contact Jacopo Moratto if you and your organisation would like to get involved:

Fish, Food And Finance: A Journey Through London , Thursday, 06 June 2024
Embracing Our Multilingualism: Why Languages Are For Everyone , Thursday, 13 June 2024
Maths For All - The Importance Of Maths Literacy , Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Featured Past Lectures

Jayne Sibley:
Safe Spending For All: How Sibstar Is Empowering People Living With Dementia To Safely Spend Their Everyday Money

Find our entire library of lectures and webinars on YouTube

Robert McDowall:

Sir Isaac Newton: A Genius And/Or A Flawed Character?

Events & Webinars

• Events

The Lord Mayor's Appeal Abseil Challenge, Friday, 07 June 2024

Pride Month And How To Champion A Diverse Workforce, Wednesday, 12 June 2024

Bavarian Ball, Thursday, 13 June 2024

Climate Action for SMEs, Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Discover The Literary Heart Of the City of London, Tuesday, 25 June 2024

• Webinars

Purpose-Led Business Models For The 21st Century, Tuesday, 11 June 2024

AI In FS: Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?, Monday, 17 June 2024

An Update On EU Financial Services Legislation & Associated Initiatives, Tuesday, 18 June 2024

GFT Banking Disruption Index, Tuesday, 02 July 2024

All Forthcoming EventsAll Past Events

If you enjoy our webinars and events, and would like to contribute to our content, we would very much welcome your support as a corporate sponsor, please contact Charlotte_Dawber-Ashley@zyen.com to discuss the various opportunities available.

The Esop Centre’s newspad, is a monthly publication providing in-depth coverage of the main international news in the field of employee share ownership. Read this month’s newspad in full.

Guernsey Employee Share Plans & Trustees Conference 2024, Friday, 08 November 2024

Public Reports

Z/Yen publishes reports on its three leading indices: the Global Financial Centres Index, the Global Green Finance Index, and the Smart Centres Index. In addition to this, reports on topics of special interest are also regularly published by Z/Yen.

Mike Wardle, Professor Michael Mainelli: The Smart Centres Index 9

Mike Wardle, Professor Michael Mainelli: The Global Green Finance Index 13 - Supplement H2 Go - The Hydrogen Economy, Pipedream Or Panacea?

FS Club News

Busan Finance Center: Busan Metropolitan City has announced its Basic Plan for Carbon Neutrality: The basic plan is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2018. The plan consists of 101 tasks across 8 sectors, with a vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and to become a global hub city, free from the climate crisis. The major sector-specific greenhouse gas reduction measures, which will see an investment of 19.87 trillion won by 2030, include ①the expansion of renewable energy to improve energy self-sufficiency in buildings, ②the distribution of eco-friendly vehicles such as electric and hydrogen cars, ③the provision of energy reduction devices in agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture, ④Waste Valorization, ⑤hydrogen cluster construction, ⑥expansion of blue carbon, ⑦carbon dioxide capture, storage, and utilization. The Basic Plan includes carbon-neutral policies that leverage Busan's strengths, such as creating a ①'15-minute carbon-neutral urban space,' ②becoming a 'global green city in the hydrogen economy,' ③leading a 'carbon-neutral circular economy as a resource recycling mecca city,' and ④becoming a 'global maritime city responding to the climate crisis.'

Fintech Lab Seoul: Seoul Financial Hub, managed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is currently inviting esteemed overseas financial institutions to join our global financial epicenter in Yeouido, Seoul. Benefit from exclusive office space, expert consultation on market entry, and unparalleled networking opportunities. Stay ahead with insights into the Korean Financial market. For further details about Seoul Financial Hub, click here.

Financial Services Comission Mauritius:

New Regulatory Framework for Spot Commodity Market in Mauritius: The new Rules aim to support the creation of a new and dynamic ecosystem for spot commodity trading, clearing and intermediation within Mauritius with the new following financial business activities:

(a) spot commodity market; (b) spot commodity clearing house;

(c) spot commodity broker; (d) spot commodity broker’s representative;

(e) spot commodity trading adviser; and (f) spot commodity trading adviser’s representative

The new regulatory framework for spot commodity market and its intermediaries, overseen by the FSC, provides salient features such as a fast-track application process for existing licensees, a Spot Commodity Market may inter-alia be operated through an electronic system, and operators may engage in environmentally-linked financial instruments.

Bridgeworks: Bridgeworks, based in Lymington, Hampshire, UK, was invited last month to present their award-winning AI technologies to U.S. government and industry leaders to highlight the best in British technology. A key aim was to spotlight the support of the U.K. Government’s Department of Defence and Security Exports, (Department for International Trade), and share insights as an Export Champion. British Ambassador to the United States, Dame Karen Pierce was present to facilitate valuable engagement with the U.S. Federal agencies and U.K. technology partners. David Trossell, CEO and CTO of Bridgeworks, explains: “We invited our customers, OEM Partners, such as Dell Technology and IBM, Spectra Logic and our North American Resellers and System Integrators to share their successes implementing our systems.” Trossell explains: “We were able to present solutions and deliverables and translate those to future business benefits for end users.” Eykyn commends Trossell: “I am not a technical man, but I have always been interested in new technology. With Bridgeworks our WAN and data acceleration products, our CEO and CTO David Trossell, brought all his extensive skills in the storage world to bear, strongly supported by the IBM R&D Storage Establishment at Hursley, who confirmed the need for the AI and machine learning based products David developed and which we now know as PortRockIT and WANRockIT." See their full news item here.

GFT Financial Ltd: Salt, GFT and Engine by Starling set new digital banking benchmark in Europe: Salt Bank, a new digital bank in Romania’s financial landscape, has launched less than one year after the project was kicked off. Salt Bank is the first neobank using Engine by Starling’s core banking system outside of the vendor’s parent company, Starling Bank. It was implemented in partnership between GFT, Salt Bank and Engine by Starling. This continues a transformative trend GFT sees in financial services and beyond. Organisations are reinventing their technology capabilities, adopting a ‘platform of platforms’ approach. This involves consuming ready-made capabilities from the wider industry. Read our press release here. New thought leadership from GFT - AI in the insurance sector: What does AI bring to the insurance sector? How can organisations integrate it into their strategy? An overview of the current situation state, definitions and a checklist are at your reach to help you understand. Download our new paper here. GFT achieves 800 Amazon Web Services certifications: With 6 shiny new Amazon Web Services Delivery Specialisation badges, GFT have now earned a total of 12 badges. But wait, there's more! Our incredible team has hit 800 Amazon Web Services certifications, ensuring exceptional expertise and client satisfaction. Find out more about our partnership here. Watch our FS Club webinar with Denodo on-demand now: You can now watch on-demand our GFT and Denodo webinar hosted by FS Club, featuring David Tuppen (Head od AI & Data, GFT) and Stuart Simmons (Sales Director, Banking and Finance, Denodo) discussing how financial services institutions are overcoming the challenges presented by traditional architectures, adopting AI and leveraging the independent software vendors ISV ecosystem. Watch here. Our latest blog: Are you brave enough to move beyond lift and shift? By Zubin Limbuvala – LINK.

i2 Group: i2 Group is a world leader in intelligence analysis software. For more than 30 years we have empowered intelligence analysts and investigators to discover, create, and exploit actionable intelligence to identify the perpetrators of criminal activity. This blog demonstrates how i2’s iBase product was used to manage supplier risk for a Billion-Euro Construction Project. iBase was used to prevent and identify potential issues with subcontractors, ensuring timely project completion, high quality standards, and cost savings. The tool is used regularly in risk assessments to help prevent money laundering activities and to classify risks for ongoing projects. Read the article in full here.

Compass Plus: Are legacy systems truly on their last legs? 🕰️ Our latest collaboration with Consult Hyperion delves deep into why FIs need to change their mindset when it comes to #payments ecosystem modernisation. Instead of fixating solely on the front-end, it's time to invest more in your core technology and embrace a future-proof strategy. In our latest white paper, we dissect the payment system architectures that #FIs, #banks and #processors utilise today, highlighting their benefits, disadvantages, and where they should sit in your tech stack. This white paper is a must-read for C-level execs and payments professionals seeking to break free from the chains of the past.

Heart of the City : We are pleased to share some exciting updates with you. Firstly, we're delighted to inform you that Andy Melia, who served as our Interim Chief Executive in 2020, has rejoined us as the new Director! Andy's deep-rooted expertise and commendable track record in the charity sector are invaluable as we navigate through a phase of development and change. To learn more about Andy please visit our News page here. On 12th June we’re celebrating Pride Month with a Lunch and Learn ‘Pride Month and how to champion a diverse workforce’, hosted by ISS Facility Services UK and their Pride Employee Resource Groups. This free online session provides an engaging forum to gain insight into the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals and to learn practical ways to foster diversity and inclusion within your organisation. Event details: You can download the event asset here and find details via our Eventbrite page or our LinkedIn. Additionally, our annual ‘Climate Action for SMEs’ breakfast event, hosted by the Lord Mayor Michael Mainelli on 18 June is also fast approaching with the registration deadline on Tuesday 4 June. If you have a City-based network, friends or partners you think would be interested in attending, please help spread the word by visiting our LinkedIn events page here and using the 'Share' function to repost to your feed, send a direct invite, or copy the link to share on any other marketing platforms. Alternatively, you can find our latest post here.

C2Zero: C2Zero’s Carbon Cancellation Service (C4S) is a platform giving customers the power to prevent - not remove, not offset - CO2 (carbon) emissions from some of the world’s largest polluters. C4S helps businesses neutralise their unavoidable carbon footprints, or it can be seamlessly added as an “ingredient” to products, services, activities, events and more. Part of the Lord Mayor’s Connect to Prosper program, C4S enables businesses to make a positive environmental impact while fostering engagement with customers, employees, and other stakeholders. For a deeper understanding of how carbon cancellation works, follow this link or email the team. You can also purchase your first carbon cancellation certificate online at https://carbon.uk.c2zero.net/. Carbon cancellation with C4S adds value to your business and to the environment.

Z/Yen Launches Ethical AI Course with CISI Register Here

The Chartered Institute For Securities & Investment, in collaboration with Z/Yen Group and The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor Professor Michael Mainelli, have launched a Certificate in Ethical Artificial Intelligence.

The short online course deals with the core definitions and global developments in the field of AI, associated ethical dilemmas, and the implications for financial services.

Find Out More

Pamphleteers Blog

The Pamphleteers Blog features considered thoughts – somewhere between a knee-jerk editorial and a full-blown piece of research. "Write for today and not for tomorrow."

Made Me Think
Chris Yapp:

The Value of Models

Of Great Interest
Patricia Lustig & Gill Ringland:

Are Digital Systems Fit For Purpose?

Read More

FS Club Bulletins - Keep Track Of Your Commercial Interests

FS Club provides up to 1,000 weekly bulletins on a variety of topics from Inflation, to Inter-Bank Lending, to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Register here.

Fraud

Shareholders

Best Of The Finanser

Stirred My Thoughts:

The names Bond … Bank Bond

Grabbed My Attention:

What’s the future of card schemes?

Read More

Membership & Sponsorship

FS Club is the premier global executive knowledge network for technology and finance professionals. Great events, research, and social functions build a buzz for Members and a valuable partnership for Sponsors. Membership of the FS Club is a great way to enhance your professional development, grow your network and profile, and get backing for your ideas, contact: Charlotte_Dawber-Ashley@zyen.com