OFF THE BOOKS development is just as important as what we achieve as a business .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
I left a well-established company 10 years ago to join Worldpay – which was an upand-coming business at the time . Many , including myself , had doubts about my decision , but I loved it once I started . It has been a thrilling ride . I wish I had taken the leap away from larger corporations earlier because the challenges I faced gave me the biggest opportunities to learn and grow .
How do you unwind outside of the office ?
I am an avid triathlete . I completed two full Ironmen in the last 18 months and even qualified for the World Championship in Finland in August 2023 . So , if you are around Singapore , chances are you ’ ll find me swimming , biking or running around town !
When I ’ m not pushing myself to the limit through sports , I love to spend time with my young family .
What ’ s your go-to productivity trick ?
Excel spreadsheets – they manage my life outside of work and help me to bring that same level of organisation to the office .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment within the finance space ?
We have found that embedded finance and digital assets are key areas that both financial services and non-financial firms are investing in . Through our inaugural Global Innovation Report – which surveyed 2,000 senior executives globally – we were able to better understand how businesses are responding to the latest FinTech innovations .
Only 39 % of financial services firms in Australia are saying they will significantly invest in developing embedded finance products within the next 12 months . Embedded payments are already popular among consumers , enabling the speed and convenience of paying for goods in an app with just a single click . It ’ s not just payments , there are also new use cases in banking , lending and investing . Australia ’ s on a fast track to deliver these embedded financial services .
Despite 2022 being a challenging year for crypto , we saw that there has been growth and investment in digital assets and the underlying technologies . Half of Australia ’ s financial services firms recognise Decentralised Finance ( DeFi ) to be a major growth opportunity for their organisation .
There ’ s a lot of innovation happening in the payments space and we are excited to help merchants implement these new technologies as they continue to grow in popularity .
What advice would you offer decision-makers within this space looking to adopt new technologies ?
The economy is at an interesting junction and is calling for investments in digital technologies that will provide new ways to simplify how payments are processed – for both consumers and businesses .
Australians have always been at the forefront when it comes to advanced tech adoption , but now it ’ s crucial to prioritise what ’ s going to give the biggest returns . It is important to remember that investing for the sake of it won ’ t get you far – assess where the business needs to grow and then determine what technology is required .
There are several new technologies in the market , and it can get overwhelming . Therefore , education is key in this space . Firms can begin their journey by investing in internal education to get a better understanding of the commercial , tech and regulatory environment . Lean on your trusted advisors , technology partners and outside consultants for help ! � www . intelligentfin . tech
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