This week we’re throwing it back to a conversation from Season 4 with Akin Soysal, a global expert on digital investing and part of our BCG X leadership team in Europe, the Middle East and South America. Akin dives into the biggest topics disrupting financial management across the globe. How does Gen Z leverage retail investing for saving for retirement? Can AI be an effective financial advisor? How are millionaires migrating around the globe? We’ll explore these topics and more in our conversation with Akin.

Discussion Highlights:

1. The GenAI Era Unfolds: Global Wealth Report 2024: The BCG annual wealth management report calculates how much wealth there is in the world. It gets broken down into regions and essentially allows you to draw conclusions about who got richer and who got poorer. This year's report touches on the impact of AI, how wealth is distributed, and trends disrupting the financial services industry.
2. Income Generation vs. Wealth Management: Akin discusses how income is tangible and immediate, whereas wealth management and investing are not. This often causes people to overlook the importance and impact of investing on their overall wealth. Financial literacy can play a big role in shifting this mindset, helping people to better understand and plan for their future.
3. Retail Investing with Gen Z: We explore the growing popularity of retail investing, especially with Gen Z. Retail investing is where people take advantage of investing on their own rather than relying on financial institutions to manage their portfolios. AI is helping to support this trend, with easy to access financial advice being so readily available.
4. Cross-Border Wealth Flows: Akin delves into the dynamics of what he calls cross-border wealth flows. High net worth individuals are increasingly mobile, moving their assets to financially favorable regions like Dubai and Singapore. As wealth is moving globally certain regions are looking to attract millionaires.
5. Regulatory Pressures and Financial Literacy: Akin shares how regulatory frameworks shape the accessibility of financial knowledge and tools. This can sometimes make it challenging for people to gain financial literacy. He discusses the balance between protecting investors and maintaining open access to financial advice.
6. The Say-Do Gap in Finance: Akin discusses the emotional aspect of finance, highlighting how people often behave differently than the way they say they will. Financial management is so emotional, and balancing that side of it is key to overall financial health.
7. Impact of AI on Financial Advice: Generative AI is disrupting the wealth management industry by providing sophisticated, scalable investment advice to the masses. This is transforming how people engage with financial markets and has the potential to democratize financial advice for people who otherwise would not have access to it.

About Fintech Files:

Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today. From NeoBanks to Digital Banking, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial...

This week we’re bringing back our episode with Suzy Ferreira from Season 4. Suzie is the co-founder of Dinie, and is on a mission to transform credit access for small businesses in Brazil. In this episode, Suzy shares her journey and the inspiration behind Dinie, an embedded lending fintech breaking barriers for SMEs. Discover how Dinie’s innovative, data-driven approach—embedding lending into platforms like iFood and leveraging real-time insights—is empowering small businesses to access the credit they need to grow and succeed.

Discussion Highlights:

• Suzy Ferreira’s journey: Suzy, co-founder of Dinie, opens up about her father's struggles with credit access, and how that inspired her mission to transform lending for small businesses, ultimately laying the foundation for Dinie.
• Dinie's Approach: Dinie, a Brazilian embedded lending fintech, is redefining SME lending by embedding credit solutions directly into platforms like iFood, offering seamless access to financial resources where businesses already operate.
• Challenges of Credit Access for SMEs in Brazil: Suzy highlights the systemic barriers Brazilian SMEs face, such as high-interest loans, cultural reliance on cash, and limited financial products tailored to their needs.
• How Dinie Works: Dinie’s innovative approach leverages real-time data like sales revenue and transaction patterns, enabling accurate credit assessments and proactive lending to SMEs.
• Hot Money: Suzy explains Dinie’s product, Hot Money, designed to provide working capital tailored to an SME’s revenue flow, minimizing debt risk while fostering growth.
• The Concept of the Invisible Bank: Suzy introduces the idea of an "invisible bank," where lending becomes seamless, integrated, and unobtrusive, revolutionizing how businesses access financial services.

About Fintech Files:

Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today.

From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disruptors. We’ll uncover the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech and examine their impact on the financial world. We focus on real-world examples, making financial technology relatable and accessible to both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Hosted by Annika Melchert, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in the Middle East, and Nora Hocke, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in Sydney, our hosts bring expertise in tech transformations, platform architecture, and digital innovation. Annika and Nora work with Fintechs and incumbent banks, and together they offer unique insights into the evolving financial landscape, drawing on their wealth of experience with leading organizations. Bianca Lopes is an entrepreneur and economist from Brazil with a background in digital identity and biometrics. Having supported over 40 financial institutions and eight governments, Bianca’s work reshapes technology, reimagines identity, and drives innovation.

AI is accelerating across every industry, but how do you turn this hype into real operational value? In this episode, we’re joined by Patrick Heinen, Vice President of Solution Engineering at Salesforce, to explore how organizations can implement AI in a way that is practical, compliant, and scalable. Drawing on real-world examples, we examine how AI agents are changing business workflows, the importance of data and semantics, and what responsible adoption looks like in highly regulated environments like financial services.

Discussion Highlights:

• From Prompts to Agents: How AI agents differ from prompt-based tools and how organizations can leverage their ability to plan and act autonomously.
• Data Readiness: Clean data, shared definitions, and semantic frameworks as foundational elements to successful AI deployment.
• Real-World Use Cases: We discuss how AI is being used in practice across compliance checks, document review, loan application processing, and more.
• Regulation as a Design Constraint: How can financial institutions scale AI responsibly while navigating GDPR and government regulations?
• Regional Perspectives on Adoption: Nora and Annika share what implementation looks like across the Middle East and Australia, and how regional contexts shape strategy.
• Building Effective Enterprise Agents: For a deeper look at how AI agents are creating real value today, BCG’s AI Platform Group’s latest paper outlines why architecture, evaluation, and legacy system integration matter more than model capability alone.

About Fintech Files:

Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today.

From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disruptors. We’ll uncover the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech and examine their impact on the financial world. We focus on real-world examples, making financial technology relatable and accessible to both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Hosted by Annika Melchert, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in the Middle East, and Nora Hocke, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in Sydney, our hosts bring expertise in tech transformations, platform architecture, and digital innovation. Annika and Nora work with Fintechs and incumbent banks, and together they offer unique insights into the evolving financial landscape, drawing on their wealth of experience with leading organizations. Bianca Lopes is an entrepreneur and economist from Brazil with a background in digital identity and biometrics. Having supported over 40 financial institutions and eight governments, Bianca’s work reshapes technology, reimagines identity, and drives innovation.

Happy Holidays Fintech Files listeners! As we look ahead to the new year, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from Season 4 with Eyal Sivan, Mr. Open Banking.

Eyal joins Fintech Files to discuss how open banking rose from the 2008 financial crisis to become a worldwide movement centered on competition, innovation, and transparency. With over 25 years in IT and banking technology, Eyal breaks down the core principles behind open banking, clarifies myths around security, and explores how different regions—from Europe to Brazil—are innovating with standards and regulation.

Discussion Highlights

• From IT Wiz to Mr. Open Banking: Eyal shares his journey from early web-development days to becoming Head of Strategic Platforms at CIBC. A pivotal encounter in Oslo introduces him to the concept of open banking, sparking a deep fascination that leads to his own podcast and advocacy.
• Defining Open Banking: Why “open” doesn’t mean your data is up for grabs—Eyal clarifies that it’s about standardized APIs, not insecure data sharing. The three key goals of open banking: competition, innovation, and transparency.
• Global Momentum & Security Myths: How PSD2 in Europe and subsequent adoption in the UK, Australia, Brazil, and beyond drove standardization. Eyal dispels security concerns, showing how “screen scraping” is actually less secure than standardized APIs.
• Financial Inclusion Potential: Brazil as a case study: rapid adoption of open banking and digital wallets, enabling millions to join the formal financial ecosystem. Eyal underscores that open banking can reduce barriers for underserved populations—but only when paired with the right regulatory guidance.
• Risks & Roadblocks: Eyal addresses how, without careful regulation, large incumbents could still dominate. Achieving a global open banking system is unlikely; instead, interoperability among diverse regional standards is the main ambition.
• Looking Ahead: Open Finance & Beyond: Eyal’s vision of open banking has it expanding more into sectors like healthcare and social media. Ultimately, Eyal believes broader “data ownership” across industries is inevitable once consumers realize their rights.

About Fintech Files:

Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today.

From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disruptors. We’ll uncover the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech and examine their impact on the financial world. We focus on real-world examples, making financial technology relatable and accessible to both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Hosted by Annika Melchert, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in the Middle East, and Nora Hocke, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in Sydney, our hosts bring expertise in tech transformations, platform architecture, and digital innovation. Annika and Nora work with Fintechs and incumbent banks, and together they offer unique insights into the evolving financial landscape, drawing on their wealth of experience with leading organizations. Bianca Lopes is an entrepreneur and economist from Brazil with a background in digital identity and biometrics. Having supported over 40 financial institutions and eight governments, Bianca’s work reshapes technology, reimagines identity, and drives...

How does a region skip the traditional path of banking entirely and jump straight into a digital future? Central Asia has become one of the fastest-moving digital banking regions in the world. In this episode, Nika Kurdiani, CEO of TBC Uzbekistan, reflects on what’s driving this rapid shift and how it’s reshaping competition, customer expectations, and the overall financial landscape. We discuss TBC’s approach to entering Uzbekistan, the evolving needs of a young and digital-first population, and the operational and strategic choices required to build trust in a transforming market.

Discussion Highlights:

• The Post-Soviet Legacy: How the collapse of financial institutions resulted in a cash-based culture and long-lasting skepticism toward banks.
• A Leapfrog Moment: Why Central Asia moved straight into mobile-first, digital-native banking, and how this compares to mature markets.
• Generational Shifts in Adoption: The divide between younger users driving digital growth and older generations relying on familiar cash habits.
• TBC’s Strategy in Uzbekistan: What it takes to enter and scale in a high-growth market, from talent and product design to regulatory navigation.
• AI & Digital Innovation: How AI, UX, and mobile onboarding are reshaping customer expectations and accelerating adoption.
• The Future of Fintech in Central Asia: How customer education, responsible data use, and embedded services will define the next phase of digital banking in the region.

About Fintech Files:

Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today.

From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disruptors. We’ll uncover the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech and examine their impact on the financial world. We focus on real-world examples, making financial technology relatable and accessible to both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Hosted by Annika Melchert, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in the Middle East, and Nora Hocke, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in Sydney, our hosts bring expertise in tech transformations, platform architecture, and digital innovation. Annika and Nora work with Fintechs and incumbent banks, and together they offer unique insights into the evolving financial landscape, drawing on their wealth of experience with leading organizations. Bianca Lopes is an entrepreneur and economist from Brazil with a background in digital identity and biometrics. Having supported over 40 financial institutions and eight governments, Bianca’s work reshapes technology, reimagines identity, and drives innovation.

What does it take to create payment infrastructure from the ground up in one of the world’s fastest-growing fintech regions? Recorded at Money 20/20 in Riyadh, PayTabs CEO and Founder, Abdulaziz Al Jouf, reflects on how the company helped establish one of the Middle East’s earliest fintechs. We explore the challenges of launching in a cash-reliant market, the role of cultural understanding in earning trust, and how partnerships with banks and regulators created the foundation for secure growth. From embedded finance to cross-border expansion, this conversation looks at how PayTabs is shaping the next chapter of digital payments in the Middle East.

Discussion Highlights:

• Building in a Cash-First Region: How PayTabs addressed the behavioral, infrastructural, and trust challenges of early digital payments in the Middle East.
• Cultural Insight as Strategy: How understanding merchants, consumers, and local dynamics became a competitive advantage.
• Partnerships and Regulation: The role of banks, regulators, and ecosystem players in enabling secure, sustainable fintech growth.
• Cross-Market Expansion: Lessons from scaling across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, India, and Morocco — and what it takes to serve diverse markets.
• The Future of Middle East Payments: Emerging trends including embedded finance, cross-border commerce, and new digital payment experiences.
• Advice for Entrepreneurs: Abdulaziz shares grounded guidance on market entry, resilience, and developing trust.

About Fintech Files:

Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today.

From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disruptors. We’ll uncover the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech and examine their impact on the financial world. We focus on real-world examples, making financial technology relatable and accessible to both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Hosted by Annika Melchert, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in the Middle East, and Nora Hocke, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in Sydney, our hosts bring expertise in tech transformations, platform architecture, and digital innovation. Annika and Nora work with Fintechs and incumbent banks, and together they offer unique insights into the evolving financial landscape, drawing on their wealth of experience with leading organizations. Bianca Lopes is an entrepreneur and economist from Brazil with a background in digital identity and biometrics. Having supported over 40 financial institutions and eight governments, Bianca’s work reshapes technology, reimagines identity, and drives innovation.

Money moves digitally across invisible networks every day — but what actually carries it from one place to another? Fireblocks CEO Michael Shaulov joins us to unpack the evolution of digital payment rails; the networks and infrastructure that move money in our digital world. We explore how cybersecurity, blockchain, and new forms of currency are reshaping global transactions. Michael shares how Fireblocks’ “security by design” approach has fueled institutional adoption of digital assets and what the rise of stablecoins could mean for everyday payments. From practical benefits to the complex challenges of integration, this conversation looks at how the future of money movement is being built right now.

Discussion Highlights:

• Building the Foundation for a New Financial Rail: How early insights into organized crypto attacks led to Fireblocks’ creation.
• Secure by Design: How Fireblocks built its platform on chip-level security to protect the growing world of digital assets.
• Secure at Scale: Why institutions are moving from experimenting with crypto to using digital assets and stablecoins in real business transactions.
• The Role of Stablecoins: How digital dollars are complementing traditional finance, reshaping payments and operations worldwide.
• The Opportunity for Cross-Border Payments: Why blockchain-based payment rails are tackling fragmentation and inefficiency in moving money around the world.
• Connecting the Digital Economy: Why the launch of the Fireblocks Payments Network marks a turning point toward truly instant, compliant global transactions.

About Fintech Files:

Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today.

From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disruptors. We’ll uncover the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech and examine their impact on the financial world. We focus on real-world examples, making financial technology relatable and accessible to both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Hosted by Annika Melchert, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in the Middle East, and Nora Hocke, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in Sydney, our hosts bring expertise in tech transformations, platform architecture, and digital innovation. Annika and Nora work with Fintechs and incumbent banks, and together they offer unique insights into the evolving financial landscape, drawing on their wealth of experience with leading organizations. Bianca Lopes is an entrepreneur and economist from Brazil with a background in digital identity and biometrics. Having supported over 40 financial institutions and eight governments, Bianca’s work reshapes technology, reimagines identity, and drives innovation.

How can wealth management become more intuitive, transparent, and accessible? Dhruv Arora, Founder & CEO at Syfe, a leading wealth management platform based in Singapore, shares how Syfe is redefining investing for the mass-affluent segment in Asia-Pacific. Drawing on his background in traditional finance, Dhruv reflects on building trust in emerging markets, how technology and digital advice are reshaping investor behavior, and preparing for the next wave of intergenerational wealth transfer.

Discussion Highlights:

• From the Trading Floor to Fintech: How Dhruv’s early career inspired the creation of Syfe and its mission to simplify investing
• Building Trust Across Borders: The early challenges of entering markets like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia, and how education and transparency helped overcome them.
• Lowering Barriers to Investment: The product features that make Syfe’s platform intuitive for investors.
• Technology and Regulation: How evolving digital frameworks are reshaping the future of wealth management.
• The Rise of Digital Advice: Why personalization and accessibility are key to engaging the next generation of investors.
• Intergenerational Wealth Transfer: How shifting demographics are redefining financial priorities across Asia-Pacific.
• Scaling for the Future: Syfe’s vision for expansion and the future of fintech.

About Fintech Files:

Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today.

From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disruptors. We’ll uncover the most groundbreaking trends shaping the future of Fintech and examine their impact on the financial world. We focus on real-world examples, making financial technology relatable and accessible to both Fintech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Hosted by Annika Melchert, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in the Middle East, and Nora Hocke, a Principal currently based at BCG Platinion in Sydney, our hosts bring expertise in tech transformations, platform architecture, and digital innovation. Annika and Nora work with Fintechs and incumbent banks, and together they offer unique insights into the evolving financial landscape, drawing on their wealth of experience with leading organizations. Bianca Lopes is an entrepreneur and economist from Brazil with a background in digital identity and biometrics. Having supported over 40 financial institutions and eight governments, Bianca’s work reshapes technology, reimagines identity, and drives innovation.