The FS Club Podcast

In this webinar, we launch the eleventh edition of the Smart Centres Index (SCI 11). The SCI is designed to track the development of technology and financial centres across the world in their support for and readiness for new technology applications.Investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, media, academics, governments, and regulators can attune their cities to attract innovation and growth in Science, Technology, Energy Systems, Machine Learning, Distributed Ledgers, or Fintech. Tuning a city for innovation is complex. Z/Yen began studying successful and unsuccessful business innovation clustering some 15 years ago, and published in 2018 the Smart Jurisdictions Index. Building on the results of that research we have created a novel factor assessment index based on three dimensions - innovation support, creative intensity, and delivery capability.The SCI is designed to track the readiness of business centres across the world to support new technology businesses. The SCI uses assessments from private and public sector individuals, along with over 120 instrumental factors, to rate the centres. This important project that will grow substantially as more people pay attention to the ways centres can help globally innovative businesses thrive in rapidly changing times.

eCommerce in MEA is growing fast — but growth alone isn't enough.As eCommerce surges across the Middle East and Africa, payment leaders face a unique challenge — building infrastructure that's as dynamic as the markets they serve.From mobile-first consumers to regional preferences in payment methods, success in MEA means understanding the nuances of the ecosystem and being ready for what's next — from real-time rails and embedded payments to smarter data use and social commerce.Join FS Club for a 45-minute webinar featuring experts from Compass Plus Technologies, including Adil Ahmed (VP & Deputy Managing Director, MEA) and Eyad Almaaitah (VP, Global Product Management). Together with Hugh Morris, they'll explore how fintechs, PSPs, and financial institutions can better support merchants, streamline experiences, and unlock growth across MEA.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technology are redefining the global financial landscape, intensifying competition, and reshaping business models. With its robust technological foundation and highly integrated industry ecosystem, Taiwan is emerging as a pivotal hub for AI-driven financial innovation, digital transformation, and regulatory technology (RegTech).This exclusive webinar will offer deep insights into Taiwan's latest AI financial policies, banking sector digitalization, and the strategic deployment of AI in financial operations, risk management, customer engagement, and process optimization—driving the next era of financial excellence. We invite global financial leaders, industry pioneers, and decision-makers to discover why Taiwan is at the forefront of AI-powered finance and explore high-impact collaboration and investment opportunities in this dynamic market.

This webinar aims to explore the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in shaping the future of Mauritius' economy, financial sector, and corporate landscape. As global investors and regulators increasingly prioritize sustainability, Mauritian businesses, financial institutions, and policymakers must align with international ESG standards to remain competitive and resilient.

Background: In this webinar I'll be making the case that we should give more, not less, discretionary power to those who are in charge of implementing and enforcing rules in a firm or society. These are people like police officers, prosecutors, judges, and also doctors, nurses, and everyday workers. The argument rest on a case against Legalism, the political philosophy that job titles, roles, rules, laws, policies, and procedures must be detailed, explicit, and blindly administered to ensure an efficiently functioning and fair society. Instead, my view is that basic tenets of what makes for a good person and a society of good people requires that we build into rules and regulation the ability for people in charge of those rules to ignore or bend them.Speaker:Professor Barry Lam is Professor of Philosophy at University of California, Riverside, and host and producer of Slate's Hi-Phi Nation podcast, a documentary series about the connection between philosophy and the law, science, technology, and everyday life.

This talk is an introduction to John Kay's recent book “The Corporation in the twenty-first century”.In the industrial revolution, businesses were defined by their tangible capital. the iron works and the textile mills in which the routine assembly process was operated by minimally skilled workers. Modern business is no longer like this. Tangible capital is bought as a service from specialist suppliers who have neither interest or ability to control the business. The corporation is a collection of the capabilities of teams of people, and the workers, not the plant, are the means of production.Speaker:Sir John Kay is one of Britain's leading economists with wide practical experience in business and finance. A Fellow of the British Academy and Royal Society of Edinburgh, he was the founding dean of Oxford University's Saïd Business School and held a chair at London Business School. He is a winner of the Senior Wincott Award for Financial Journalism for his Financial Times columns. Other People's Money won the Saltire Prize for non-fiction and was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. His other books include Obliquity, The Long and Short of It, Greed is Dead (written with Paul Collier) and Radical Uncertainty (with Mervyn King).

AI remains a hot topic, with many organisations exploring how to integrate its various technologies into their core operations. However, the use of AI presents societal, technical, and legal challenges. In this talk, we will explore how the UK's regulatory approach compares to the EU's AI Act, which will apply from August 2026. Speakers will examine key differences, discuss the practical implications for businesses, and offer insights into ensuring compliance. Join us to gain a deeper understanding of navigating AI regulations and building responsible AI strategies.Speakers:Adam Leon Smith is an expert in AI regulation and technical standards and works on research and strategy projects in that area. He is Chair of the AIQI Consortium, a global initiative to promote the use of the quality infrastructure for responsible AI, and Deputy Chair of the UK's national AI standards committee. He has led four AI standardisation projects in ISO/IEC SC 42 as an Editor and two as a Convenor of SC 42 JWG 2 (Testing of AI systems). He is also very active CEN/CENELEC JTC 21, where he is Project Leader for two projects in response to the AI Act – the Quality Management System for EU AI Act Regulatory Purposes, and AI System Logging. He is also Chair of BCS Fellows Technical Advisory group.Before involvement in quality infrastructure, Adam spent 20 years in senior technology roles, delivering verification and validation solutions for highly complex or high-risk industry challenges. In 2024, the University of Bath awarded Adam an honorary doctorate in recognition of his work and its impact on the profession.David Doyle is known across Europe as a leading expert on EU financial services regulation and long-standing speaker at the Financial Services Club. A former diplomat with over 20 years of service on mainland Europe at bilateral and multilateral level, he now acts as an EU Policy Advisor between Brussels and London, specialising in regulatory developments in banking, fund management and insurance.He is a member of the Executive Board of the joint MEP-EU industry advocacy body, The Kangaroo Group at the European Parliament, holds a seat on the Board of Directors of the Genesis Initiative at Westminster that promotes entrepreneurship and SME policy, as well as being active in the Transatlantic Business Council on Capital Markets and the Conference Board Corporate Governance Council.

The Global Financial Centres Index has been tracking the development of the world's financial centres since 2007 and is the authoritative guide to financial centre success.In this webinar, Z/Yen will formally launch the 37th edition of the index.Programme:09:00 Introduction & Welcome – Hugh Morris09:05 GFCI 37 Results - Mike Wardle, CEO, Z/Yen Group09:20 Commentary - Hugh Morris09:25 Q&A09:45 CloseSpeakers:Mike Wardle is CEO and the Head Of Indices for Z/Yen, managing work on the development and delivery of the Global Financial Centres Index, Global Green Finance Index, and Smart Centres Index. Mike worked as a civil servant for almost 20 years mostly within the field of education policy. He was a director and then Chief Executive of the General Social Care Council, establishing the regulation of social workers. Mike's career moved into consultancy, programme management and coaching and he worked with Z/Yen for six years delivering programme management services to the Church of England, Unison, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust before taking up his current role.

Background: Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the way organisations attract, evaluate, and retain talent. From automating tedious recruitment tasks to enhancing workforce analytics, AI-driven solutions promise greater efficiency and smarter decision-making. However, the successful integration of AI into HR practices requires more than just technological investment—it demands a strategic approach with collaboration, transparency, and trust between humans and machines.This talk explores the top tips of AI talent management, offering insights into how organisations can use AI for predictive hiring, employee engagement, and workforce development. We'll also look at some of the key challenges—such as algorithmic bias, ethical considerations, and the human-AI collaboration dynamic. Join me to discover how AI can be a game-changer in hiring the best people and building stronger, more agile teams for the future.Speaker:Dr Sian Joel-Edgar is an Associate Professor in Human-Centred Computing at Northeastern University London with research expertise in Information Systems and human perception of technology such as Artificial Intelligence. She is the Director of Postgraduate Taught at Northeastern University London. Northeastern University London is part of the Northeastern Global Network which specialises in offering high-value experiential learning and partnerships to add impact to employer partners, with themes of digital transformation, AI and human competencies at the core of their research and education.

Background: The Labour government has already published the first draft of an industrial policy entitled ‘Invest 2035'. After seeking consultation, the intention is to implement a battle plan in 2025. Yet evidenced on the direction taken by other countries, such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, sustainable success is a long-term plan. Their future mindset is ‘Invest 2045' or ‘Invest 2055'.What should the UK be doing? It has abundant resources, a talented workforce, great universities, and a quality of life to attract the best international talent. How should British industrial strategy be made? To paraphrase the Chinese strategist Sun Tzu, how can the UK “grasp and win”?Speaker:A qualified barrister and solicitor, Iain Sheridan has over 20 years' experience advising on financial regulation. His consulting experience includes advising ABN AMRO, Bank of America, Barclays, Citadel, Deutsche Bank, Fidelity International, and Société Générale. He was also the former head of legal (EMEA and APAC) for the boutique FIG investment bank Fox-Pitt Kelton. Iain currently acts as a consultant for the international law firm Linklaters.His book Financial Regulation and Technology (Edward Elgar) is relied on by practitioners throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. He coined the term asynchronous compliance to describe the gap between technologically driven business strategies and regulation.Iain studied data science at Oxford University and machine learning at Cambridge University. His scientific research on GNSS and drones was also published by the Royal Society. Most recently, he is the author of Semiconductors – Law, Strategy and Tax (Edward Elgar).

Background: Z/Yen's "Focus On" series highlights key business and financial centres from around the world. Here, we look at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's most populous city and largest financial centre. This city is also known as the “Pearl of the Far East” with the charming heritage, dynamic, vibrant and innovative atmosphere, and friendly people. Vietnamese government sets out the goal to be a high-income country by 2045 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. They also strive to turn Ho Chi Minh City into the international financial center (IFC) by 2045 and create distinct institutional areas for attracting foreign investors. Vietnam's Prime Minister is now leading the steering committee of the IFC project and this shows the government's determination. The IFC in Vietnam will provide opportunities to UK businesses in terms of expertise sharing, trade and investment. Speakers: Dominic Scriven's investing career spans nearly 40 years across London, Hong Kong and Vietnam. He studied at Hanoi University for two years before founding Dragon Capital in 1994. He has received an OBE from the British Queen, and a Labour Medal from the President of Vietnam. Dominic Scriven holds a Combined Honours degree in Law and Sociology from Exeter University. Nguyen Thuy Hanh has over 30 years of banking experience in Vietnam. Hanh leads the client coverage and product teams focused on driving the growth strategy for the bank's clients, people, shareholders, and communities. Under her leadership, the bank provides the banking products and services to 3 client groups through various product lines including, but not limited to transaction banking, financial market, capital market, securities services, M&A advisory, rating advisory, and ESG etc. She is also working closely with Vietnam government bodies, and market participants to implement the JETP and contribute to deliver the commitment of Vietnam in achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Hanh has held various important positions in SCB, including Head of Financial Institutions - Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia (2010 - 2015); Deputy General Director - Head of International Corporate and Financial Institutions (2016 – 2017); Managing Director - Head of Commercial Banking (2018 – 2020); Managing Director - Head of CIB Client Coverage (2020 – 30/9/2024) and CEO & Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, Vietnam (1/10/2024 – Now). Hanh holds a Master of Business Administration of Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management - Université Libre de Bruxelles. Andrew Oldland is a senior lawyer specialising in international financial regulation. He is a partner in the UK law firm Michelmores and was the firm's Senior Partner between 2017 and 2021. Andrew is ranked by the Legal 500 directory as a "Leading Individual". Andrew is a barrister, a King's Counsel and a part-time judge sitting in civil/commercial and criminal cases. He previously held a number of senior UK government roles as independent counsel including the Attorney-General's A list of counsel, standing counsel to His Majesty's Revenue & Customs and the Serious Fraud Office's list of counsel. Andrew has advised a number of governments on financial regulation, particularly in respect of common law based international financial centres.

Worry is the most common aversive mental experience. Given that fact it should be self-evident that handling worry better lies at the heart of better mental health and well-being. Yet successful people tend to remain chronic worriers, allowing worry to make them miserable and less effective. Despite being usually highly intelligent they also remain unable to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy worry. Harley St Psychiatrist and best-selling author and broadcaster, Dr Raj Persaud, explains what worries actually are, what they really represent, and how to effectively handle them with a simple coping algorithm.

Z/Yen's "Focus On" series highlights key business and financial centres from around the world. Here we look at Seoul, which is the largest city and capital of South Korea, as well as being home to many Fortune 500 companies, such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. In this webinar, Bonhi Gu will primarily deal with general information on Seoul city as a global financial hub and Invest Seoul as a foreign investment promotion agency established by Seoul Metropolitan Government. Speaker: Bonhi Gu is the Commissioner of Invest Seoul since 2022, with over 20 years of his previous career in banking industry. He is truly enthusiastic about making Seoul a leading hub of global business, innovation, and talent in Asia. Most recently Mr. Gu has been leading work for Woori Bank Korea. There, he served as an investment banking manager & derivative trader in London & Seoul. Before that, from 2011-2015, he led the Global Business Department where he handled both HR issues and budget management of overseas networks and employees. Also, he contributed to the company by launching banking products for global Wealth Management clients. His work has taken him to Woori Bank Europe GmbH in 2016, where he mainly focused on corporate banking business, money intermediary, and bond trading business.

A regular speaker at the FS Club, EU Regulatory Expert David Doyle is back to give a new year update on the EU financial services regulatory agenda. He will be covering some of the most contentious and game-changing pieces of EU legislation in the financial services space, notably: Priorities of the new EC and the EU Parliament going into the new mandate 8 days to go before the application of DORA - are financial entities ready? The ECB SSM focus under the 2025 Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process (SREP)

In our Esop Sofa 2024 end of year round-up, the Esop Centre's panel of employee share scheme experts will look at the impact of October's Budget and PISCES (Private Intermittent Securities and Capital Exchange System). Suzannah Crookes, Legal Director at Tapestry Compliance, will discuss the Budget's impact on employee share ownership in general. Esop Barrister David Pett of Temple Tax Chambers, will examine the announced reforms to Employee Ownership Trusts. And Corpgro Founder Damian Carnell will guide us through the progress of PISCES following announcements in the Chancellor's Mansion House speech. Chairing the panel, Darren Smith of Global Shares (JP Morgan), will be asking for their predictions for the year ahead, too.

Martin Wolf, the 2024 author of “The crisis in Democratic Capitalism” does not believe that the crises can be “fixed”. Instead, he sees the need for them to be managed to avoid autocracy, plutocracy, or climate catastrophe. Professor Colin Mayer believes otherwise. His 2024 book is about “Capitalism and Crises: How to Fix them”. Shann Turnbull's, 1975 book on “Democratising the wealth of nations”, proposes a self-financing tax incentive (p. 90) to democratise and purify capitalism and democracy. But only for humans that may survive our ghastly future environmental degradation.

Professor Michael Mainelli returns to the FS Club webinar series after a year's sabbatical from Z/Yen to reflect on his personal experience of financial centres, particularly the City of London. As the creator of the Global Financial Centres, Smart Centres, and Global Green Finance indices, he knows what makes cities work. Michael has a unique viewpoint on the City of London, reinforced through the privilege of serving as: Lord Mayor of London (2023-2024) - his theme was "Connect To Prosper", celebrating the many Knowledge Miles of our Square Mile, the world's coffee house, during which year City of London jobs grew from 615,000 to 678,000 (!), an increase of over 10% - end-of-term report; Sheriff of London (2019-2021) - alongside Deputy Chris Hayward, where due to Covid they were the first two Sheriffs since 1228 AD to serve a second term with a core programme of strengthening & simplifying anti-money laundering - end-of-term report. In this Community Chest, Michael hopes to provide answers to questions such as the future of financial centre concentrations, geopolitics, and regulation, as well as the underpinning technology and skills changes. His thinking has been heavily influenced from a year travelling well over 100 days to 25 countries and he looks forward to exchanging thoughts with fellow FS Club members.

How SMEs Can Enact Global Change Tune in to listen to a discussion on how a small London based business, renowned globally amongst tea connoisseurs and collectors for its rare and premium teas, has managed to positively impact the pay of millions working in the industry around the world.

In this webinar, we launch the tenth edition of the Smart Centres Index (SCI 10). The SCI is designed to track the development of technology and financial centres across the world in their support for and readiness for new technology applications. Investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, media, academics, governments, and regulators can attune their cities to attract innovation and growth in Science, Technology, Energy Systems, Machine Learning, Distributed Ledgers, or Fintech. Tuning a city for innovation is complex. Z/Yen began studying successful and unsuccessful business innovation clustering some 15 years ago, and published in 2018 the Smart Jurisdictions Index. Building on the results of that research we have created a novel factor assessment index based on three dimensions - innovation support, creative intensity, and delivery capability. The SCI is designed to track the readiness of business centres across the world to support new technology businesses. The SCI uses assessments from private and public sector individuals, along with over 120 instrumental factors, to rate the centres. This important project that will grow substantially as more people pay attention to the ways centres can help globally innovative businesses thrive in rapidly changing times.

We all age, but some of us live longer than others and on average we are living twice as long as our ancestors did 200 years ago. So, the latest science with respect to ageing and science that I have been involved in for the last 40 years shows that 80% of our ageing biology is within our own control. Longer healthier lifespan is clearly aligned to socioeconomic status. We can not only live longer lives, but live also much happier healthier lives deep into our later years if we control modifiable factors. I will cover the most important areas that allow you to take control of your ageing process.

In this 45-minute webinar, employee share schemes expert David Craddock will consider the empowerment of the employee voice through employee participation. His talk will include a case history and the principles developed to promote the wider involvement in the company. David's deliberations will also take into consideration employee representation, workers' groups and voting rights of employee shareholders. There will be ample opportunity to put your questions and comments to David, which he will address during the final 20 minutes of the event.

Now that the T+1 Working Group has reported (see UK AST Technical Group Draft Report and Recommendations (kpmg.com), it is time to translate intent to have T+1 in the UK into actions to deliver it. T+1 Settlement for UK securities will go live in Q4 2027. It will be mandatory but that's 3 years away. What do stakeholders need to do now to prepare? What do the UK Regulators need you to do between now and Q4 2027 What will be happening at an industry level? How should you prepare for this? Europe Participants will gain insights into immediate actions required in 2024 / 2025 to be ready for the next report in December which will include milestones to Q4 2027.  Now is the opportunity to get on the front foot.

The global battle among the three dominant digital powers, the United States, China, and the European Union, is intensifying. All three regimes are racing to regulate tech companies, with each advancing a competing vision for the digital economy while attempting to expand its sphere of influence in the digital world. In her talk on Digital Empires, her provocative follow-up to The Brussels Effect, Anu Bradford will discuss a rivalry that will shape the world in the decades to come.

Join us for an engaging webinar on the Digitalization of Payment Systems in Mauritius and Opportunities for Payment Intermediaries. This event will explore into the rapid evolution of payment systems in Mauritius, highlighting the significant opportunities for payment intermediaries in this dynamic landscape.

The relationship between Britain and China has shaped the modern world. Chinese art, philosophy and science have had a profound effect upon British culture, while the long history of British exploitation is still bitterly remembered in China today. But how has their interaction changed over time?From the early days of the East India Company through the violence of the Opium Wars to present-day disputes over Hong Kong, Kerry Brown charts this turbulent and intriguing relationship in full. Britain has always sought to dominate China economically and politically, while China's ideas and exports—from tea and Chinoiserie to porcelain and silk—have continued to fascinate in the west. But by the later twentieth century, the balance of power began to shift in China's favour, with global consequences. Brown shows how these interactions changed the world order—and argues that an understanding of Britain's relationship with China is now more vital than ever.

The NAO's latest report Efficiency in government procurement of common goods and services (nao.org.uk), sheds much needed transparency on the relationship between commissions, fees and value for money in public procurement. The public sector spent £393 billion, or 14.8% of GDP on goods and services in 2022-23, of which around £125 billion is for common goods and services which are items that may also routinely bought by businesses. The government procured 72% of its large contracts through frameworks in 2021-22 compared to 43% in 2018-19. Some framework operators charge commissions as high as 5-6% are levied, far greater than the average rate of 0.7% levied by the government's largest purchasing authority Crown Commercial Service (CCS). The NAO's report identifies six ways the government could tackle some of these issues and save taxpayers money, including: enhancing competition within frameworks; establishing an accreditation regime for framework providers, with few frameworks overall; reducing levies charged on purchases; greater rivalry between framework providers; better data and greater transparency to improve decisions; and system leadership by the CCS for the procurement of common goods and services

The fourteenth edition of the Global Green Finance Index provides the world's most authoritative measure of the performance of financial centres in delivering green finance services. The report, assembled by combining the views of financial professionals from around the world, with quantitative data commissioned and curated from over 130 sources, uses advanced statistical techniques to map the global spread of green finance.

Web3, sometimes referred to as the “Semantic Web”, enhances the machine readability of web content and could usher in a more intelligent, interconnected, and decentralised internet, turbocharging decentralised finance and fintech blockchain applications. These innovations have the potential to reshape financial services to be more inclusive and equitable, greatly enhancing international trade and the competitiveness, and reputations, of financial centres that are at the forefront of innovation. However, DeFi applications also have the potential to bring certain risks, such as the ease of fraud and money laundering, strip protections from customers. Such risks require careful regulatory attention to prevent negative impact on national economies and the global financial system. Given these dual potentials, an enabling regulatory framework for innovation is crucial, and financial regulators are the bodies that must walk a tightrope between these two outcomes – too heavy handed an approach will see innovation stifled and businesses fleeing to overseas competitors, too light a touch will result in damage to markets. This webinar looks at how financial centres can support Web3 and FinTech whilst protecting markets and customers, and unveils the latest research from Z/Yen, which was commissioned by Hong Kong's Financial Services Development Council. Our speakers will unpick the challenges facing various stakeholders in the ecosystem, including regulators and the private sector. They will examine different approaches to foster an enabling regulatory framework for innovation and reveal the insights gained from exchanges with web3 innovators in Hong Kong on the island's efforts to stimulate innovation in Web3 and Fintech.

Zodia Markets is the UK's only bank-backed cryptoasset company, being majority-owned by Standard Chartered Bank. Indeed, it is one of the few in the world. In this webinar we will explore its path to being established including the risks that the Bank was concerned about. We will also give an overview of what sets it apart from other cryptoasset brokerages and exchanges, such as access to banking services and foreign exchange.

Wealth management refers to the provision of wealth advisory services targeted at affluent individuals and families. Its main objective is structuring and planning wealth to assist in growing, preserving, and protecting wealth. One important segment of wealth management is Family Office which has been in existence in Mauritius since 2016. It offers curated financial services to ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) and their families. With its stable political and economic environment, Mauritius is well positioned to become the preferred destination for wealth management. This webinar is aimed at providing an overview of the Mauritius International Financial Centre (MIFC) as a premier jurisdiction for wealth management, with emphasis given to the setting up of a Family Office. Additionally, it will present the strategic advantages, structural options, and legal & regulatory framework that position Mauritius as the destination of choice for wealth management. Additionally, the session will explore current trends in wealth management, the benefits of the Mauritius Family Office scheme and the diverse investment opportunities available within the jurisdiction.

School bullying has existed since formal education began and our efforts to understand it have not always been as successful as we would like. However, over the last 50 years there has been a considerable amount of research on bullying and in more recent years our understanding of the complexity of the issue and how it relates to social norms has increased. Furthermore, while we have some knowledge of the emotional and developmental impact of bullying on individuals, we are only coming to see that there is also an economic cost that arises from this human phenomenon.

Will a new form of media emerge heralding an explosive and sustained burst of artistic and intellectual creativity or the power of Big Tech, Big Media and Big Brands be entrenched. Could Metaverse, Spatial Computing, and Immersive environments become the “Next Big Thing” it's been a long time coming the first scaled Metaverse “Second Life” was founded in 2003. The current catalyst is AI becoming embedded within content creation, and computing architectures, has the adoption equation changed? Numerous questions occur, what are the impacts on media and content could “Big Media” be disintermediated. Will every form of content become fungible, changeable or faked at scale, as a text prompt can create any form of media. Could “Big Tech” advertising models be challenged by a collision of social media and crypto. The stakes are high for the UK with a large creative workforce of c1.4 million what forms of disruption can be expected. Is there a dark side, could immersive media generated at an individual level be designed to manipulate and condition. What arguments can be made for new forms of regulation to prevent harm. Can this form of immersive metaverse based on computation herald a new age of artistic and media creativity, with digital avatars becoming the new social media and spurring an explosive burst of discovery, learning and efficiencies in business, medicine, academia, media and fashion. Conversely, will the predictions of science fiction dystopia prevail, with every single digital media experience touched by a human every day full of dark patterns seeking to manipulate, control or sell.

This webinar entitled ‘Enemies of Judgement' explores the greatest influencers of judgement quality: namely what we don't know, our Ignorance, and what we think we know or our Bias. Why is risk always on the agenda? It is to ensure we deliver good judgement.

On 15 April 2022, Mauritius introduced the Variable Capital Companies (VCC) Act, aimed at diversifying its product offerings and boosting its competitiveness as a fund management hub. The new VCC Act is attracting interest from institutional investors, family offices and fund managers wishing to set up innovative and cost-effective investment vehicles in Mauritius. We are pleased to invite you and your clients to an exclusive webinar on VCC in Mauritius, designed to provide you with valuable insights into this innovative business structure and its potential benefits.

"Insurtech" is a term that was only coined within the last few years but within a short space of time, the UK has become a global insurtech hub with more insurtechs per capita than anywhere else in the world. The UK insurtech market is worth $20bn to the UK economy. Find out how insurtech is transforming UK insurance and what are the key opportunities and challenges for this important and growing area of the market.

Join us as we explore the ground breaking impact of AI technology in revolutionising financial advice within prisons. Discover how Debt Free Advice's innovative Video Advice Kiosks, incorporating ethical AI, are transforming the way inmates access crucial debt and financial support. This presentation will delve into the innovative use of AI to enhance the delivery of FCA-regulated information during video advice sessions, making financial rehabilitation more accessible and effective for those behind bars.

A regular speaker at the FS Club, David Doyle is back to give a mid-year update on the EU financial services regulatory agenda.He will be covering some of the most contentious and game-changing pieces of EU legislation in the financial services space, notably: Implications for financial institutions and associated firms of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act A deep-dive into the DORA Regulatory Technical Standards, especially criteria for the designation of ICT third-party service providers as critical for financial entities Priorities of the new European Parliament and EC in financial services regulation

Who is ultimately accountable for AI in a bank? Where should the ‘buck stop'? The AI Acceleration Decision – Does increased AI capability start with IT supplying more AI services, or through business demand? The AI Operating Model: How to approach the AI opportunity? Where to start? The End State Architecture: How to build from the current state (Opportunities and Challenges)

We live in a world where money buys power and where companies exist to maximise shareholder value. Our speakers explore alternative business models with ‘Purpose' at their core, as an essential component in delivering a world where outcomes are reflective of social as well as economic “good”.Annika Schneider, International Partnerships Lead at Purpose Economy, and Andrew Kaufmann, Founder of Time to Give Network will share their insights into the common challenges facing participants in the purpose economy and charitable sectors, and how innovative solutions utilising Stewardship Governance, Skilled-Based Fundraising and Leveraged Philanthropy are catalysts to building a more balanced world.

In this webinar, we launch the ninth edition of the Smart Centres Index (SCI 9). The SCI is designed to track the development of technology and financial centres across the world in their support for and readiness for new technology applications.Investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, media, academics, governments, and regulators can attune their cities to attract innovation and growth in Science, Technology, Energy Systems, Machine Learning, Distributed Ledgers, or Fintech. Tuning a city for innovation is complex. Z/Yen began studying successful and unsuccessful business innovation clustering some 15 years ago, and published in 2018 the Smart Jurisdictions Index. Building on the results of that research we have created a novel factor assessment index based on three dimensions - innovation support, creative intensity, and delivery capability.The SCI is designed to track the readiness of business centres across the world to support new technology businesses. The SCI uses assessments from private and public sector individuals, along with over 120 instrumental factors, to rate the centres. This important project that will grow substantially as more people pay attention to the ways centres can help globally innovative businesses thrive in rapidly changing times.

Archives of IT (AIT) collects oral and documentary history on the story of IT and coms since the dawn of the commercial application digital stored program computing; viz Lyons Electronic Office in 1951. While Apple, Google, Microsoft et al dominate the markets, the UK as much as the USA paved the way for this revolution and built an industry that supports every branch of our economy. Some would say, another dawn is about to break with the realisation of genuine AI changing the face of the workplace and how we collaborate with machines in new enterprises. What have we learned, if anything from the first 70 years? Tom Abram, Director of AIT reviews the observations of the first generation of tech leaders, seeking what will make the tech firm of the future successful. More importantly, he will be asking what you have learned and how those lessons might be applied.

Central banks have failed to issue money that is stable and stops climate change. Parliament should authorize private test issues of digital Great Depression self-liquidating money. It would become lifeboat money in the next pandemic lock down or when the financial system again fails. Tethered to an eternal sustainable wellbeing metric this simpler medium of exchange would stop climate change to eternally nurture humanity.Webinar poll - https://fsclub.zyen.com/feedback-forms/webinar-poll-questions/

Decarbonising energy systems to deliver sustainable energy futures is widely recognised as a global imperative but, unless local natural resources align with this objective, the technologies do not yet exist that allow communities to meet energy transition targets economically. For remote communities cut off from mainland infrastructure the energy transition journey may take several decades but every journey begins with the first steps.The island of Alderney has invested heavily, introducing advanced active network management to allow the integration of key energy assets at grid scale, creating the foundation for future transition to low carbon energy. This presentation looks at what has been achieved, at the journey that the community is embarking on and how a small island might become a vital sandpit for energy innovation.

Jayne Sibley is CEO and Co-Founder of Sibstar, the UK's first debit card and app designed specifically for people living with dementia. A first-time founder, Jayne's background is in marketing and communications for leading UK brands, including The Body Shop and BBC.Jayne launched Sibstar in 2023 after caring for her parents, both of whom were living with dementia. During this period, Jayne noticed a gap in the market for a financial product that would help people living with dementia to safely retain their financial independence for longer, and Sibstar was born.Sibstar recently appeared on Dragons' Den, receiving significant investment that will supercharge its growth in 2024 and beyond. Working closely alongside its partners, Mastercard and Alzheimer's Society, Jayne will be focused on scaling Sibstar in 2024, ensuring it is accessible to those who need it most.

Today, only 1% of demolition materials and products are reused, contributing to over 50% of London's waste streams. Meanwhile, we continue to build a city the size of Paris every week. Building anything uses embodied carbon and the carbon clock is ticking. What can be done to change the built environment's detrimental modus operandi? This session will delve into a transformative solution: commodities futures trading. By applying futures trading principles, the construction sector can overcome barriers to material reuse. With Circotrade's Futures Trading Contract and Marketplace, property owners can plan for material reuse, creating a new tradeable asset class. Circotrade bridges the gap between real-estate investment and sustainability—unlocking the future value of secondary building materials while saving embodied carbon.

In today's rapidly evolving financial landscape, it is more important than ever for financial institutions to stay ahead of the curve and offer tailored products and services that meet the unique needs of their customers. In this webinar, we discuss how financial services institutions are overcoming the challenges presented by traditional architectures, adopting AI and leveraging the independent software vendors (ISV) ecosystem.By considering a holistic unified customer view, companies are able to look at customer insights across a number of dimensions. There are ways and means to create this view, and this session will explore creating that capability, faster.

The thirteenth edition of the Global Green Finance Index provides the world's most authoritative measure of the performance of financial centres in delivering green finance services.The report, assembled by combining the views of financial professionals from around the world, with quantitative data commissioned and curated from over 130 sources, uses advanced statistical techniques to map the global spread of green finance

Jarkko Hämäläinen will discuss where businesses stand in the current ESG environment, as well as the impact of and successful engagement with ESG.The critical role of infrastructure in achieving sustainability goals and reducing emissions will be examined in depth. With infrastructure responsible for around 79% of total greenhouse gas emissions, it represents the area with the highest potential for impactful change. Proven strategies and concrete actions that have successfully improved environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance within infrastructure projects will be highlighted. Attendees can expect to learn about quantifiable methods to enhance sustainability and emissions reduction specifically within the infrastructure sector. To illustrate best practices, case studies demonstrating how an emphasis on effectiveness has been seamlessly integrated with sustainable practices will be used. Additionally, Jarkko will explore the interconnection between sustainable infrastructure development and positive climate impacts.

Extreme weather disasters, such as floods, tropical storms and wildfires, are becoming more frequent and more intense. These disasters threaten both life and livelihood, causing the loss of homes and jobs that can scar the lives of those affected. Disaster insurance, by providing funds for reconstruction, plays an essential role in limiting these consequences of disaster. Yet, disaster insurance is under threat in many contexts, becoming unaffordable or being withdrawn entirely. In response, many countries have established ‘protection gap entities' (PGEs); public-private schemes to keep disaster insurance available. PGEs rebalance the tensions (paradoxes) at the heart of insurance about who controls the insurance market, how much is known about disaster risk, and who should pay for protection. Drawing from our new book examining 17 PGEs operating in 49 countries around the world, I will explain why PGEs are vital in adapting to an increasingly disaster-prone world.

WHO cares about the money of the future? WHY should I care about the money of the future? These questions, and more, are addressed in depth in Intelligent Money. As money becomes digital, it will revolutionise everything. By 2030, digital money will make money personal, individualise currency and its usage, make it secure, enable it to grow automatically to meet our personal goals, manage risk automatically and make life simpler and easier for all. The most critical aspect of this book is HOW money will become intelligent, both digitally and artificially.The bottom line is that money will soon be embedded, intelligent, invisible and everywhere. It's a whole new world.

Global and domestic economies depend upon trade and related trade finance. For centuries, trade and trade finance transactions have been recorded in paper documents. Cross-border trade transactions (totalling more than US$18 trillion annually) involve vast numbers of these paper documents that must pass through the hands of many parties. This process is slow, inefficient, costly, error and fraud prone, environmentally unsound and contributes to a trade finance gap of up to US$2.5 trillion affecting mainly SMEs, prompting the ICCUK-C4DTI to observe: “[T]he trading system suffers from antiquated laws and a lack of standardisation.”Recent decades have witnessed a remarkable digital transformation in the conduct of commerce, with a phenomenal shift from paper-based to electronic processes. That shift is now accelerating in trade and trade finance, supported by law reform. Our two expert presenters will illustrate the immense benefits that proven digital technologies, like blockchain DLT, offer trade and trade finance. They will highlight recent developments in industry, and in legal reforms, as key trade and finance participants - and government entities - hasten to implement simpler, more efficient, secure, sustainable and inclusive digital trade and trade finance processes.