news - Future of Banking Conference

In the historic heart of Amsterdam, the origin of many financial innovations throughout the centuries, FMO organizes the second Future of Banking Conference (November 12 & 13). Financing entrepreneurs, the core of a bank’s business model, will be the overarching theme of the conference. Over the course of three days, we will share insights and experiences from emerging countries and the Western world. We will focus on the behavioral and cultural aspects of banks and bankers. We will try to understand what lessons can be learned and how institutions can take these into the future. We will also investigate emerging opportunities.

We have invited the top executives of all our Emerging Market financial institutions clients. The set up will be interactive and learning based. Inspiring discussions will be interspersed with music in an environment especially created for this conference. We expect 250 conference participants.

The first part of the conference day will focus on the Past & Present of Banking. This session will revolve around the lessons learned from the past and how to apply these lessons in the future. During the keynote discussion the governor of the Dutch Central Bank, Mr Klaas Knot, and the governor of the Central Bank of Peru, Mr Julio Velarde, will exchange views on how Europe and emerging economies can learn from each other and discuss the implications of an increasingly intensive regulatory environment on MSME financing.

During the second part of this day we will catch a glimpse of the Future and its opportunities. Mr. Magnus Lindkvist, a Swedish economist and trendwatcher, will guide us into the times ahead in an energetic and dynamic talk. Then we will look at the $350 billion opportunity: SME banking in emerging economies. Management consulting firm McKinsey will introduce this topic after which a panel discussion with SME bankers from Latin America, Africa and Asia will elaborate on how banks can seize this opportunity.

The third and last part of the day will deal with the Pathway to the Future. What challenges will we face in the coming years and how can we get to the bright future which was designed earlier that day? Mr. Pavan Sukhdev, TEEB Study Leader and Chair of the TEEB Advisory Board, will share his views on how to connect MSMEs to a sustainable global value chain. Subsequently a panel will discuss alternative funding sources, and finally shareholders and board members from four continents will discuss their changing role in the coming decade.

The next day, Tuesday November 13th, there will be ample opportunity for networking during our morning Networking Event. Many of our partners, including DFIs and commercial banks, will be present at this day. After lunch there will be a social program of which we will provide more information soon.

This event is an invitation only event. For more information please visit the events’ webiste.