Cryptocurrencies, sustainability and financial inclusion are the notable hot topics for the banking industry over the past year, as well as regulatory changes and the continued digital transformation of the sector

Payment infrastructures are undergoing great change across the globe, with the implementation of instant retail payments rails and modernisation of real-time gross settlement systems. Innovation is also driving change in the cross-border payments space. The Banker’s Leadership series, in association with SWIFT, explores how the financial industry is working together to construct the future of payments and provide a strong platform for innovation. 

The modernisation of Europe’s payments infrastructures will be a global market event. Getting it right means thinking strategically about the emerging global trends in cross-border payments.

Saqib Sheikh, SWIFT’s global head of ISO 20022 programme, recently sat down with The Banker to outline why the migration to ISO 20022 is so important to the industry.

Payments between people and businesses at a domestic level have been getting faster and faster. Instant and real-time are the new norm domestically. But the historically ‘slower’ cross-border space is now catching up. Cross-border payments settled in a matter of seconds are now a reality, writes Harry Newman, head of banking at SWIFT.

A panel of payments experts discuss what banks can learn from ‘big tech’ and how they can leverage new technology and better engage with their clients to enable their success in a rapidly evolving business environment.