The chairman of the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute shares his views on the role its members are playing in promoting sustainable and inclusive finance, as well as the economic and social well-being of their communities.

Open banking offers opportunities for data-driven business models by allowing customers to share their banking data securely with third parties. The next step is unlocking customer data across the financial sector.

Taking a hybrid approach will help retail banks grow, develop new processes and offer hyper-personalised services to customers.

An aggressive process of M&A activity among Spanish banks has radically reshaped the country’s financial services map. But now lenders are focused on expanding organically, although some believe further consolidation remains a viable option. 

The Spanish banking sector has rebounded strongly from the pandemic, posting strong results for 2021. However, uncertainties remain over inflationary pressures and the evolution of interest rates. 

Al Rayan Bank’s CEO, Giles Cunningham, on the growth prospects for Islamic Finance in the UK, the bank’s pivot towards commercial property and the prospects for sharia-compliant banking in the UK.

The CEO of VTB Capital Investments talks to Burhan Khadbai about the macroeconomic landscape, the rise of retail investing in Russia and the asset manager’s ambitions to get involved in the growing cryptocurrency market.

A new type of challenger bank, which is developing innovative financial products to better serve the LGBT+ community, is gaining ground across the globe. 

With a new open banking initiative planned, Saudi institutions are ramping up their digital offerings.

Challenger banks caught big banks on the hop, but now the incumbents are fighting back.