Our new magazine will celebrate the financial space across Europe , the Middle East , Africa , APAC , Latin America and North America . As financial institutions move more operations online , the need for technology has never been greater and for CFOs , this can be difficult to manage .

Technology is now vital for businesses and key decision-makers must embrace it fully to achieve autonomous finance . Intelligent Fin . tech aims to offer guidance to the financial community and keep leaders informed with thought leadership , industry expertise and insights into the latest technologies on offer .

On page 48 , we feature Sumanta Roy , Vice Presiident & Head of the Middle East and Africa at Tata Consultancy Services . He speaks to us about the drivers for change in the Middle East ; the importance of transportation , transformations and transactions for businesses in the region ; emerging trends and FinTechs and innovative ecosystems within the sector .

We look deeper into the technologies shaping financial intuitions in the UAE on page 17 , where Craig Ramsey , Global Head of Real-time Payments , ACI Worldwide , talks about this and how realtime rails can create new opportunities within the country .

On page 29 , Mathias Holzinger , GM TeamViewer Austria , outlines how the banking sector has adapted to an increased need for strong customer service , as well as the key elements required of a digital engagement platform .

Customer engagement is vital for any financial institution , including start-ups . However , start-ups require heavy funding and obtaining it can be difficult . For our Industry Outlook , on page 39 , Ryaan Sharif , General Manager at Flat6Labs UAE , speaks to us about it and how SMEs can win investments in the United Arab Emirates .

The Middle East continues to be a strong focus this edition , with our Regional Review , on page 44 , bringing Oman to the forefront . As Oman ’ s economy experiences sustained growth and the non-petroleum sector emerges as an important economic force , Bank Sohar has positioned itself as a ‘ one-stop financial super-mall ’.

TO OUR MONTHLY MAGAZINE

Intelligent Fin . tech explores why the bank implemented Finacle Analytics ’ solution to boost customer centricity with insightdriven banking .

We also have a range of ‘ intelligent ’ pages , which feature the latest in the cloud , security , mobile , software , blockchain and Artificial Intelligence .

I hope you enjoy this issue and if you would like to contribute to any future editions then please do not hesitate to contact me by emailing catherine @ lynchpinmedia . com

Catherine Darwen , Editor www . intelligentfin . tech

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