As spring blossoms and Easter celebrations bring renewed energy, we’re pleased to share some exciting updates. Tickets are now available for the 10th Reflections Gala on Friday, 11 July 2025, at Guildhall, London, where Professor Michael Mainelli will reflect on his mayoralty as the 695th Lord Mayor of London in a live Q&A exploring financial stewardship, sustainability, and the City’s global role. We also encourage you to explore the Canadian Indigenous Investment Summit, focusing on how Indigenous partnerships are key to unlocking growth, with FS Club sponsors and community members receiving a 50% discount by contacting me. Finally, Cityforum, in partnership with Z/Yen, is hosting the Finance for National Security, Resilience and Prosperity summit on Wednesday 14 May, for which you can register here. Happy Easter to those celebrating, and we look forward to seeing many of you soon!
Sasha Davis (Manager, FS Club) & The Team at Z/Yen

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Events & Webinars

• Webinars

Fewer Rules, Better People: Why Discretion Makes For Better Decision-Makers Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Launch Of Global Green Finance Index 15 Thursday, 24 April 2025

Taiwan’s AI-Driven Financial Innovation & Digital Transformation Wednesday, 30 April 2025

• Past Events & Webinars

AI Regulation In Financial Services: Navigating Compliance And Strategy Tuesday, 01 April 2025

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.

FS Club News

Busan Finance Center: A Giant Step Towards a Global Tech-Startup Hub – Busan Startup Investment Agency(BSIA): Busan is making significant strides to become Asia's top tech startup hub with the launch of the Busan Startup Investment Agency(BSIA) in March 2025. BSIA provides tailored support throughout the startup journey, from ideation to scaling up. BSIA is dedicated to shaping Busan into a global innovation powerhouse by:

• Identifying and fostering promising tech startups
• Cultivating a vibrant venture investment ecosystem
• Expanding infrastructure for tech-driven investments

Through ongoing innovation and strategic partnerships, BSIA is building a dynamic startup ecosystem where entrepreneurs and investors thrive, positioning Busan as a leading destination for startups in Asia.

Seoul Fintech Lab: 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.

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Financial Services Commission Mauritius: Mauritius – A Strategic Hub for Innovative Insurance and Reinsurance Solutions in Africa: Mauritius has established itself as a premier destination for insurance and reinsurance business, distinguished by its strong adherence to international best practices and regulatory standards under the Financial Services Commission. Contributing 2% to the country’s GDP in 2023 [Statistics Mauritius - National Accounts - December 2024 Issue], the insurance sector benefits from a robust legislative framework, including the Insurance Act, the Captive Insurance Act and the Insurance (Structured Investment Linked Insurance Business) Rules 2022. Recent enhancements to the captive insurance framework, introducing diverse captive categories and permitting third-party risk exposures, demonstrate Mauritius' commitment to innovation and growth. The strategic use of Protected Cell Companies further enhances business structuring opportunities. With an insurance penetration rate of 4.3% in 2024 [Bank of Mauritius - Financial Stability Report December 2024], the sector shows resilience and attractiveness. The recent establishment of a Lloyd's service company in Mauritius, further solidifies the country’s position as a major insurance hub in Africa, offering a stable jurisdiction for global and regional stakeholders.

Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance: Taiwan Sets the Stage for Regulated Stablecoins: Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has unveiled a draft Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Act, setting clear rules for the issuance and trading of stablecoins.

• Only domestic banks will be allowed to issue stablecoins, and they must be backed by fiat currencies (e.g., TWD, USD).
• Foreign stablecoins (like USDT) will be treated as commodities and must gain FSC approval before being listed on local exchanges.

Existing VASPs must register by the end of March or cease operations. The draft law is expected to be submitted to the Executive Yuan by the end of June. Taiwan is moving toward a new era of regulated, innovative digital finance! Follow us on LinkedIn for more details.

Astana International Financial Centre: “Experts from the Astana International Financial Centre have published an analytical report “Emissions trading systems and voluntary carbon market: Global overview and prospects for Kazakhstan”. The report explores important aspects of building a green economy, with a particular focus on Kazakhstan. International experience demonstrates that emissions trading systems in developed and industrially emerging countries operate on a model of the partial distribution of allowances through auctioning, which helps establish a market price for carbon. In Kazakhstan, the national Emissions Trading System was launched in 2013 and currently covers 47% of emissions, generated by 135 companies from the energy, mining and manufacturing sectors. Also the AIFC has established the Green Finance Centre to advance sustainable finance tools and encourage investment in environmental and social projects in Kazakhstan and Central Asian region”.

Northeastern University London: NU London is excited to announce summer co-ops, starting May 2025, with flexible options to suit your business needs. Co-ops are immersive student work placements aligned to areas of their study, matching the skills and extra support you might be looking for. For your organisation, co-op means bringing in talent from diverse backgrounds and with outstanding skillsets, to shape the future of your workforce.
Benefits to employers:

• Flexible resource for your organisation’s needs
• A sustainable recruitment pathway
• A dedicated team providing tailored recruitment support

To find out more, register your interest with our partnerships team today.

GFT Financial Ltd: Triple award win for GFT, Engine by Starling and Salt Bank: GFT, Engine by Starling and Salt Bank have won the “Financial Services Collaboration of the Year sponsored by Maveric NXT” and “Best Use of IT in Consumer Finance” categories at the prestigious 2025 FS Tech Awards, and “Best Digital Bank” at the Fintech Breakthrough Award. The accolades recognise the three partners’ transformative collaboration which showcases leadership in digital banking innovation. The winning project revolved around developing Romania’s first 100% digital banking platform for Salt Bank, using Engine by Starling's cloud-native technology. This platform allowed Salt Bank to create optimal operations, a customer centric experience, and introduce new financial products suited to current consumer requirements. The project has attracted great attention in the industry as the new bank was built in less than twelve months. Read more here.
New GFT thought leadership: Lifting the lid on hyperpersonalised banking: Brand-new GFT thought leadership paper on hyperpersonalised banking examine the building blocks for the future of banking. Download now to discover the importance of hyperpersonalised banking, the use of behavioral science and how big data can be leveraged. Download here.
Watch our Capital Markets at GFT video: Anthony Kakoudakis (Sector Director, Capital Markets) speaks to Alice Gane (Senior Partnerships Manager) about the current challenges and trends within the capital markets sector and how GFT is helping our clients with this digital transformation. Watch here.
Watch our Retail Banking at GFT video: Watch our new GFT video as Shilpa Doreswamy (Sector Director, Retail Banking) speaks about the current challenges and trends within the Retail Banking sector and how GFT is helping our clients with their digital transformation. Watch in full here.
Our latest blogs:
Utility and bust: Scale in future AI provision by Simon Thompson - LINK
The transition to T+1. Time to get started! by Ruth Chambers - LINK
Empowering innovation in regulated environments by Ivan Lopez Gatnau - LINK

Bridgeworks: The March to WAN Acceleration: Why Organisations Should Avoid Putting Their Eggs In One Basket: In this software-defined era there is a new type of Wide Area Network (WAN) – the SD-WAN. It’s described by World Wide Technology as “the next generation of WAN technology,” which forms the foundation of today’s WAN infrastructure. This is positive for industry overall, sinceorganisations often offer this as a service and it can be hosted in a multitude of locations – changing where applications are located. With traditional network infrastructure, a hub-and-spoke approach is deployed, with organisations renting leased lines “from service providers, to interconnect remote locations or central data centre hubs,” explains the firm. It then explains that traffic flowed from a remote location (spoke) to a central hub in order to reach applications services and the public internet, provided from central locations. This network architectural model was favoured for years, as organisations became more interconnected, as services became highly centralised. David Trossell, CEO and CTO of Bridgeworks, comments: “Organisations in the past have used leased lines from service providers to connect remote locations to the data centre. Data traffic flowed to and from a remote location to a data centre to access applications and on to the public internet , typically provided from the Data Centre, all under Central control.” Read the full article here.

C2Zero: Looking for a unique gift? With Carbon Cancellation Certificates from C2Zero, you can give the gift of preventing carbon (CO2e) emissions—for yourself, your loved ones, and the planet. It’s simple: visit carbon.uk.c2zero.net. Starting at under £18 (including VAT) for 200kg of carbon, this gift makes a real difference! Learn more at www.c2zero.net/campaign/c4s-by-c2zero.

Sponsorship Opportunities

We currently have opportunities available to partner with Z/Yen as a sponsor for our ongoing research into the development of financial centres. If you may be interested in sponsorship of the Global Green Finance Index or Smart Centres Index, please get in touch with Mike Wardle.
The Z/Yen App is now available on iOS and AndroidOur new Z/Yen App is the place for FS Club Members to stay informed and engaged with the latest insights from the world of finance, technology, and beyond. With our intuitive app, you can register for upcoming events, dive into our reports, watch recordings of past sessions, and even listen to podcasts on the go. The app is free for Sponsors and Paid Members of the FS Club - $60 per year. If you have any questions please contact Sasha Davis. Join a community of forward-thinking professionals who are shaping the future of finance and technology. Stay informed, stay connected, and stay inspired with Z/Yen. Scan the code below with your smartphone to download the app:

Z/Yen Launches Ethical AI Course with CISI Register Here

The Chartered Institute For Securities & Investment, in collaboration with Z/Yen Group and 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

The Chartered Institute For ITBCS Foundation Certificate in the Ethical Build of AI This course introduces the key issues in ethical AI and equips you to design and build AI ethically, navigating risks from security to human rights.

Pamphleteers BlogThe 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

Ed Steinmueller and Gill Ringland:

Is Catastrophic Software Failure A Black Swan?

Of Great Interest

Robert McDowall:

Time to Reintroduce UK War Loans?

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.

• Emerging Markets
• Employment & Wages

Best Of The Finanser

Stirred My Thoughts:

• Bank IT outages … let’s talk about the bank systems Jenga

Grabbed My Attention:

• The FCA’s five year vision

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: sasha_davis@zyen.com