It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our Z/Yen collegue and friend, Mark Yeandle. Mark worked with us from 2002 until his illness in 2019, and will be sorely missed by all those who were fortunate to work with and know him. Our thoughts are with Mark's wife and sons during this sad time. Please read Ian Harris' tribute to Mark here.

This month, we are are looking into the varied and complex security issues we presently face at the historic Spy Bar at Raffles Hotel, the former Old War Office of Churchill and his spy chiefs during World War Two. Unfortunatly, no charming spys will be present, but we will have Michael Mainelli, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, and Nick Fishwick, Non-Exec Director at HM Courts & Tribunal Service, and exotic cocktails! Book here. Keep calm and cool and carry on.
Charlotte Dawber-Ashley (Manager, FS Club) & The Team at Z/Yen

Knowledge Miles: The 695th Lord Mayor's Lectures

The Z/Yen App is now available on iOS and Android

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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.

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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 Lucas Djordjevic if you and your organisation would like to get involved:

The Playing-Card Industry & Its Relevance Today, Tuesday, 06 August 2024

Disabled Entrepreneurs In London: Are They Getting A Fair Deal?, Thursday, 15 August 2024

Bridging The Gap: Client-Centric Designs & Sustainability In The Construction Industry, Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Featured Past Lectures

Richard Kalas:
GFT Banking Disruption Index

Find our entire library of lectures and webinars on YouTube

Katie Barnes, Candida Whitmill, Madeleine Moon, Dr Paul Killworth & Stephen Hawker:
A Blueprint For Resilience In 2035

Events & Webinars

• Events

How To Get Started On Your Net Zero Journey, Wednesday, 07 August 2024

A Quantum Of Solace: Security Forward Risk & Intelligence Forum, Thursday, 29 August 2024

Pepys Day - Spend It With Us!, Friday, 06 September 2024

• Webinars

Enemies Of Judgement - Making Better Decisions, Wednesday, 07 August 2024

Projections For The Metaverse, Spatial & Immersive Environments, Tuesday, 03 September 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.

PISCES - Employee Share Plans & Incentives, Wednesday, 25 September 2024

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.

Charlotte Dawber-Ashley: Economic Crime - Identity, Fraud, Security A Summary Of The Cityforum Summit

Z/Yen Group Limited: Long Finance Evidence Of Worth 2023

FS Club News

Busan Finance Center: On June 25, 2024, Busan was designated as a ‘Special Financial Opportunity Development Zone’(hereinafter Special Financial Zone). An opportunity development zones refers to a system aimed at fostering the relocation of businesses to regions and supporting balanced regional development through incentives and benefits, such as tax exemptions, regulatory exceptions, and financial support. Notably, among the other designated areas, Busan was the only one uniquely designated as a ‘Special Financial Zone’, highlighting the Korean government’s strategic commitment to developing Busan as a financial hub. The geographical domain of the Special Financial Zone consists of a total area of 750,976㎡, including the Busan International Financial Center (10,293㎡), general land (16,973㎡), and the second stage of the North Port Redevelopment Area (723,710㎡). Along with the designation, Busan Metropolitan City delineates a plan to develop the Busan International Finance Center as a global financial hub. First, the third phase of the Munhyeon Financial Area will be specialized in digital finance and will be developed into a digital valley that houses tech-based companies such as Fintech, blockchain, and software, as well as providing one-stop business support functions such as investment, guarantees, and financial education. Second, Busan Metropolitan City aims to facilitate the relocation of the Korea Development Bank (KDB) to the Munhyeon Financial Area. Third, prospective financial districts in the North Port Redevelopment Area are expected to focus on digital finance, global finance, maritime derivative finance, financial R&D, and public finance. With the Special Financial Zone designation and dedicated development plans, Busan Metropolitan City aims to become the Top 20 City in the world and the Top 5 City in Asia by 2030.

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 Commission Mauritius: The Mauritius IFC: Diversifying its offering through sustainable and impact investment - Mauritius is committed to becoming a sustainable investment hub and has launched various initiatives to develop its potential. The introduction of a framework for the issuance of green and blue bonds and the publication of a guide on Sustainable Bonds have enhanced the Sustainable Finance ecosystem in Mauritius. The African Peer Review Mechanism of the African Union is establishing the first ever Africa Rating System in Mauritius. This rating system includes a significant ESG component and will, thus, enable an Africa–centric assessment of investment projects. These initiatives pave the way for Mauritius to become one of the front runners in Africa on sustainable finance.

Bridgeworks: Why WAN Acceleration Is Vital for Financial Services Transformation: With the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in financial services, FinTech is undergoing somewhat of a transformation. While they might not be in some circles as popular as they were, both play a crucial role in the innovation of the industry. One that’s not to be scoffed at, either. For example, AI and ML can enable traders to reduce their risks and pick the right investments - increasing their profitability. The market for AI and ML is still quite healthy. In 2020, the market for AI and ML was projected to be US$158 billion in 2020 with a compound growth rate (CAGR) of 18% per annum. By 2030, the market value will have reached a staggering $528 billion by 2030. Both technologies can improve the processes, increase the gains and reduce the risks of financial institutions, including banks as well as the efficiency and performance of cryptocurrency or FOREX traders. See their full news item here.

GFT Financial Ltd: Salt Bank ushers in a new era of digital banking in Romania: 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 success story here. Watch our ‘Creating real business value from AI’ webinar with FinTech North and Google: Hosted in partnership with GFT and Google Cloud, we explored the latest trends and practical applications of AI in the financial services sector, helped you to evaluate whether your platform is ripe for AI adoption and showcased how quickly and easily you can implement AI use cases to drive business value. Watch in full here. Richard Kalas Finextra TV interview on Banking Disruption Index: Watch our Finextra TV video as Richard Kalas reflects on the latest findings from the GFT Banking Disruption Index, which highlights the mounting debt that UK bank customers are accumulating. In addition, consumers highlight the lack of support from their bank to help them in these financially difficult times and show a lack of awareness of tools that are being made available by their bank to help them with their hard-pressed finances. Watch in full here. GFT AI Impact 1.0: GFT is currently piloting AI Impact in several tier-1 banks, insurance companies and infrastructure companies in the UK, Europe and South America. In the UK, two tier 1 banks are leveraging AI Impact to accelerate the software development lifecycle process and exploring the code review and code documentation elements as part of a mainframe modernisation initiative. Read in full here. Our latest blog: The AI Summit a range of perspectives by Alastair Gill – 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 : Ready to start your net zero journey but not sure where to begin? Join Heart of the City for an online Lunch and Learn: How to Get Started on Your Net Zero Journey, on 7 August, hosted by Climate Programme Officer, Katie Rogers. This free online session is specifically tailored for small to medium-sized enterprises with an interest to learn how to measure their carbon footprint and navigate through the complexities of achieving net zero. Find out more and secure your place here. 📅 Mark your calendar for our next Lunch and Learn: How to Get Started on Your Net Zero Journey on 7 August, this online session is a 'must' for anyone wanting to better understand the complexities of achieving net zero and managing your carbon footprint.

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

The Chartered Institute For IT

BCS 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 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
Christopher Gleadle:

Real Zero, Not Net Zero!

Of Great Interest
Chris Yapp & Gillian Lockwood:

Peak People: Finance and Fertility

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.

Regulatory Bodies

Reinsurance

Best Of The Finanser

Stirred My Thoughts:

Is Trump The Killer Of The Slippard?

Grabbed My Attention:

A New American Government? What Will That Mean For Fintech

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