The payments industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Innovations such as the launch of SEPA Instant and verification of Payee, ongoing conversations about the digital euro, and Wero's first successful merchant transaction in Germany highlight the sector's dynamic pace.

At the center of this episode’s exciting and informative discussion are the European payment solution Wero, and the future of European payments. Together with Robert Bueninck, CEO of Unzer, and Ludovic Francesconi, Chief Member & Strategy Officer at EPI Company, we examine recent developments in the German market following Wero’s first merchant transaction, as well as its advantages and differences compared to big tech offerings. Thanks to our guests’ expertise and visionary perspectives, we also explore future milestones and take a look at the role that Wero could play in 2030.

Moderation: Daniel Molis, Director Strategy & Transactions, and Felix Dadt, Assistant Business Consulting.

If you have questions or comments, feel free to reach out to us via email at eyfintechandbeyond@de.ey.com with feedback or suggestions for topics or guests.

‘Europe, seize the moment!’ was the motto of this year’s Frankfurt Digital Finance, which took place on 11 and 12 February. As a platform that connects Frankfurt with leading European ecosystems, it provided an ideal stage for our high-profile panel discussion on Open Finance.

What exactly is the EU’s Framework for Financial Data Access (FIDA) aiming to unlock? Where will future product and service value emerge? And what can the EU learn from other ecosystems already years ahead – such as Brazil, the UK or Singapore?

To address these questions, we brought together outstanding voices from regulation, banking, insurance and global open finance experience to discuss the central question for Europe’s financial future: How can the EU build an Open Finance framework that is globally competitive, aligned with European values, and both economically and operationally viable?

Moderated by Christopher Schmitz, Partner at EY-Parthenon and Europe West FinTech & Open Finance Leader, the conversation went far beyond compliance and technical standards but addressed the fundamental questions. Together with our distinguished guests Alice Guedel, Policy Officer at the European Commission and responsible for FIDA, Verena Ritter-Döring, Partner at Taylor Wessing, Daniel Nestrovsky, Head of Open Finance Regulation at Bradesco, Joris Hensen, Founder and Head of API at Deutsche Bank, and Stephen Voss, CEO & Founder at Neodigital Versicherung, we engaged in a constructive and forward-looking discussion on how Open Finance can become a reality in Europe and what it takes to turn regulation into real value for the customers and the industry.

Intro moderated by: Peter Fricke, Associate Director FinTech Business Development.

If you have questions or comments, feedback or suggestions for topics or guests, please reach out to us via email at eyfintechandbeyond@de.ey.com.

2025 war für die Welt und auch den Finanzdienstleistungssektor erneut ein Jahr voller Dynamik, Innovation und Herausforderungen. Wir haben spannende Entwicklungen erlebt: von technologischen Durchbrüchen über neue regulatorische Rahmenbedingungen bis hin zu disruptiven Geschäftsmodellen, die die Branche nachhaltig verändern.

Auch für uns persönlich war 2025 etwas ganz Besonderes, denn unser Podcast hat in diesem Jahr sein 5-jähriges Jubiläum feiern können. Seit der Gründung 2020 blicken wir auf fünf Jahre voller mitreißender Themen, interessanter Entwicklungen und spannender Gästen und Experten zurück.

In der heutigen Episode wollen wir noch einmal auf das vergangene Jahr zurückblicken: Welche Trends haben das Jahr geprägt? Welche Innovationen haben den Markt bewegt? Was waren die Tops und Flops? Doch wir wollen nicht nur zurückschauen, sondern auch einen Blick nach vorn wagen: Was erwartet uns in diesem Jahr? Welche Themen werden die Finanzindustrie 2026 besonders beschäftigen? Welche Chancen und Risiken zeichnen sich bereits ab?

Zusammen mit Christopher Schmitz, Partner bei EY-Parthenon und Europe West FinTech & Open Finance Leader, und Daniel Molis, Director Strategy & Transactions bei EY-Parthenon, reflektieren wir das Jahr 2025 ziehen gemeinsam Bilanz und werfen einen Blick in die Zukunft. Wir freuen uns auf ein neues Jahr voller Innovation, Austausch und Inspiration!

Moderation: Marius Münzel, Manager Strategy & Transactions EY-Parthenon.

Ihr habt Fragen oder Anmerkungen? Meldet euch einfach bei uns per Mail unter eyfintechandbeyond@de.ey.com mit Feedback oder Vorschlägen für Themen oder Gäste.