Financial Center News #18

Spotlight on Marta Kotlarska 1st Place Winner of the #WAIFC Young Academic Award 2023

The WAIFC recently celebrated its Young Academic Award 2023 winners in New York. Amidst the grand event at the LSEG office on Wall Street, Marta Kotlarska stood out, clinching the 1st place honor.

Keiichi Aritomo, Chairman WAIFC, handed over the certificate to her.

We extend our hearty congratulations to Marta for this remarkable achievement.

🏆 Her paper titled « Examining the usefulness of #Blockchain-based tokens in their ability to offset #carbonemissions" underscores his insight and prowess in the realm of sustainable finance talent cultivation.

📲 More info: https://lnkd.in/eNaHkpGj

Spotlight on Ved Beloskar 2nd Place Winner of the #WAIFC Young Academic Award 2023

The WAIFC recently celebrated its Young Academic Award 2023 winners in New York. Amidst the grand event at the LSEG office on Wall Street, Ved Beloskar stood out, clinching the 2nd place honor.

Lamia MERZOUKI, Vice Chair WAIFC, handed over the certificate to him.

We extend our hearty congratulations to Ved for this remarkable achievement.

🏆 His paper titled "#SociallyResponsible Investments: A Retrospective Review and Future Research Agenda" underscores his insight and prowess in the realm of sustainable finance talent cultivation.

📲 More info: https://lnkd.in/eNaHkpGj

Spotlight on Lionel Mok 3rd Place Winner of the #WAIFC Young Academic Award 2023

The WAIFC recently celebrated its Young Academic Award 2023 winners in New York. Amidst the grand event at the LSEG office on Wall Street, Lionel Mok stood out, clinching the 3rd place honor.

Akshu S Campbell-Holt, Chair of the Jury, handed over the certificate to him.

We extend our hearty congratulations to Lionel for this remarkable achievement.

🏆 His paper titled "Charting the Way Forward for #SustainableFinance Talent Development" underscores his insight and prowess in the realm of sustainable finance talent cultivation.

📲 More info: https://lnkd.in/eNaHkpGj

WAIFC celebrated the winners of its Young Academic Award 2023 in New York.

The WAIFC Young Academic Award 2023 winners were unveiled in a grand ceremony held at the LSEG New York office in Wall Street.

Congratulations to the winners.

We would like to thank Akshu S Campbell-Holt and Nancy Murphy for supervising the ceremony.

Discover the winners in the article:

- Marta Kotlarska

- Ved Beloskar

- Lionel Mok

📲https://lnkd.in/eNaHkpGj

WAIFC Members Sign « Women in Finance » Pledge in New York

With the WAIFC Annual General Meeting ongoing in New York, we have initiated a comprehensive pledge to promote gender equality in the financial sector.

Signatories:

- Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)

- Busan Finance Center

- Casablanca Finance City

- DIFC

- Financial Services Development Council

- Jersey Finance

- Kigali International Financial Centre

- EnterpriseNGR

- Frankfurt Main Finance

- TheCityUK

- Luxembourg for Finance

- FinanceMalta

- FinCity.Tokyo (東京国際金融機構)

- Berlin Finance Initiative

- World Business Chicago

- Agency for Strategic Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

- Stuttgart Financial

- Lujiazui Financial City

We would like to thank Lamia MERZOUKI, Nicola Watkinson (she/her) and Nicolas Mackel for overseeing this signature project.

📲https://lnkd.in/e_6KaXuN

#ADGM celebrates 8 years of economic impact, acting as a catalyst to Abu Dhabi's financial sector and the UAE's economy. ADGM's journey has been marked by pivotal milestones, including the first #FinTech digital sandbox, the first virtual asset regulatory frameworks, the first Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum and the first sustainable finance agenda. ADGM's expansion to Al Reem Island established it as one of the world's largest financial districts and the fastest-growing IFC in the region.

#ADGMAnniversary #8Years #EconomicImpact #ADSSF #UAEEconomy #Milestones #FinancialInnovations #SustainableFinance #AlReemExpansion

Temirlan Mukhanbetzhanov, CFA, acting CEO of the AIFC Administration, highlighted three key advantages of working with the AIFC during the Baku Fintech Forum 2023, an event that brought together over 300 participants to discuss the major trends in the fintech industry.

💼 He discussed the benefits of the AIFC's Regulatory Fintech Sandbox – a unique fintech framework that allows innovators in the fintech sector to conduct real-time experiments in a controlled environment under the supervision of the regulatory authority. To date, the Fintech Sandbox of the AIFC has issued 55 licenses and currently hosts over 20 companies engaged in crowdfunding, digital asset exchange, payment services, and more.

💡 Furthermore, Temirlan Mukhanbetzhanov emphasised the significance of the recently introduced digital assets law, governing activities in digital mining, issuance, and circulation of digital assets. This law is particularly pertinent to Kazakhstan, where the issuance and circulation of unprotected digital assets are now prohibited, except within the AIFC. Additionally, from 1 January 2024, at least 50% (until 1 January 2025) and 75% (from 1 January 2025) of the digital assets mined in Kazakhstan must be sold through AIFC-licensed digital asset exchanges. A pilot project launched at the end of last year, involving 8 exchanges including giants like BN KZ Technologies Limited, Bybit, and Upbit, as well as 8 Kazakhstani banks, achieved a turnover of $184 million, demonstrating the potential and scalability of regulated digital asset exchanges.

🌟 In conclusion, T.Mukhanbetzhanov also spoke about the advantageous tax structuring and flexible opportunities for financial institutions within the AIFC. He highlighted the application of precedent law in corporate and contract law, enabling the creation of robust and efficient agreements. Additionally, the familiar regime of SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle), the ability to issue various classes of shares, stock options, convertible loans, and Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFE) provide unique conditions for structuring financial operations and attracting investments.

Read more about other advantages of the AIFC for the fintech sector on the AIFC's independent regulator website. https://lnkd.in/dFj7JCbS

In partnership with CEMAES (Morocco-Spain Economic Council), CFC was delighted to host an exclusive business cocktail at the CFC Tower on October 26 for Spanish companies in Morocco.

En partenariat avec CEMAES (Conseil Économique Maroc Espagne), CFC a eu le plaisir d’organiser un cocktail d'affaires exclusif à la Tour CFC le 26 octobre pour les entreprises espagnoles au Maroc.

#EconomicCooperation #SpanishCompanies #NetworkingEvent

Learn about #Dubai's holistic approach in creating an environment where all the necessary components for financial innovation come together from the thoughts of Nadim Najjar, the Managing Director of CEEMA at LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group).

Read more: https://lnkd.in/dGySAUdm

Download the full report done with Refinitiv, an LSEG business here: https://lnkd.in/dBzDN9UU

#DIFC #Refinitiv #Innovation #DriversofInnovation #DIFCXRefinitiv

Join Mauritius Delegates at Africa Tech Festival 2023!

As part of its export promotion strategy, EDB will be attending the upcoming Africa Tech festival, in Cape Town, South Africa, from November 14–16, 2023.

Africa Tech festival will serve as a platform for companies to showcase their service offerings and connect with potential customers.

🌐 Read more : https://lnkd.in/gWdFCaRx

#edbmauritius #MauritiusRepresentatives #TechInnovation #GlobalNetworking #SustainableFuture #africatechfestival2023

The FinanceMalta team is currently attending the Malta Future Realised 2023 conference hosted by EY Malta. Visit our stand and discover the benefits of becoming a FinanceMalta member.

#FinancialServices #FutureRealised2023

Join us at InsurTech imperative: Tokyo on November 16, 2023, to explore the latest trends and innovations in the insurance industry.

https://lnkd.in/g-fkShAV

Co-hosted by FinCity.Tokyo and Oliver Wyman

FinCity.Tokyo and Oliver Wyman are warmly inviting industry players to discover and learn more about the InsurTech sector in one of the world’s key financial hubs, Tokyo, Japan.

Session will deep dive into Tokyo’s InsurTech landscape, including an overview of recent opportunities, trends, success cases, as well as sharing from Japanese insurance companies and Insurtech firms .

Attendees will also get to network with senior representatives from Japan to explore possible business opportunities.

<Speakers>

・Stephen Barnham　CIO and CDO, Dai-ichi Life Holdings

・Kazy Hata　CEO, justInCaseTechnologies

・Hugh Terry The Digital Insurer　CEO & Founder , TDI

・Chang Li　Ambassador, FinCity.Tokyo

・Tek Yew Chia　Head of Insurance, Asia Pacific and Vice Chairman, Singapore, Oliver Wyman

・Yash Sekioka Partner, Insurance, Oliver Wyman

・Allwyn Barreto , Partner, Oliver Wyman

・Junko Yamamoto　Deputy Secretary General, FinCity.Tokyo

#Frankfurt, Finance, and FinTechs 🎙

By Hubertus Väth

I had the pleasure to talk to Alexandra Weck on the FinTech Germany Award Jury Podcast about Frankfurt, the smallest global financial centre, and what’s so fascinating about this vibrant city. We share insights on the jury’s work, the history of FTGA, and the trends in the #FinTech space.

Don’t miss out: https://lnkd.in/ePUr5fWC

PS: Achim Oelgarth had a question on #Berlin and Frankfurt the answer is at the end

Join FSDC at HK FinTech Week 2023 for a Blockchain Panel Discussion! 🚀

#FSDC is excited to lead an insightful panel discussion at the Hong Kong FinTech Week on 2 Nov 2023 and be at the forefront of driving global fintech innovations.

Join us for an engagement panel discussion, "Revolutionising the Future: Making Blockchain Technologies Commonplace", moderated by our Executive Director Dr King Au, who will be joined by expert speakers, including Jennifer Tan from Ant Group, Shirley Kwong from HSBC and Yip Plato from Elion International Investment Limited.

In recent years, blockchain technology has emerged as a game-changer, providing transparency and security across various sectors, making it a vital part of the real economy and financial institutions. Our panel will showcase real-world examples of successful blockchain implementation, discuss regulatory challenges, and address resistance to widespread blockchain adoption. It’s a testament to the power of collaboration between businesses, governments, and technology providers in nurturing the blossoming blockchain ecosystem.

We look forward to your participation in this dynamic event! Learn more and secure your spot today! https://lnkd.in/gu3Sq9J

#HKFTW2023 #FinTech #Blockchain #Innovation #Finance #Technology #FinanceFuture #fsdc #fsdchk #fsdchongkong

Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB)

Last week, we hosted our Sustainable Finance Awards in the beautiful surroundings of Jersey Zoo.

It was an amazing event, bringing together local, sustainable finance innovators and champions to celebrate their successes.

Photos from the event, which capture the magic of the evening brilliantly, are now available to view on Flickr.

View the photos now: https://jsy.fi/492yaeh

This week, our Business Development team is in Lagos for the Nigeria Fintech Week happening from 24-26 October 2023. Our FinTech Lead Leila Rwagasana presented FinTech opportunities in Rwanda.

The event convenes 10,000+ attendees, and 100+ speakers from 80+ countries. #NFW2023

Don't miss our annual China Finance Forum, where we will navigate the complexities of financial services connecting China with the rest of the world on November 21st. Experts will cover topics including big tech, the Greater Bay Area and international financial firms, climate finance and Chinese firms looking outbound and more.

Register here: https://bit.ly/499ILUC

#CFFL23 #livestream #China #finance #financialservices

Hear more from one of our Digital Assets Lab Launch partners! Anna Zeitlin the Middle East Director of PwC Middle East, sheds light on the significance of this event:

“The introduction of the QFC’s digital asset framework, supported by the Lab, is a significant step forward in Qatar achieving its National Vision 2030 goals. Qatar is placing itself at the forefront of international developments in the fintech space, and we look forward to seeing the QFC’s ecosystem flourish as it welcomes Lab applicants from all over the world.”

🔗Register online for our LinkedIn Live event: https://lnkd.in/dHWqTDvJ

🗓️ 29 October

⏰10am

We were delighted to host a fantastic roundtable this week with Vo Van Hoan, Vice-Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Long Nguyen Hoang, PhD, Ambassador of Vietnam to the UK and a delegation from Vietnam to discuss developing an international financial centre in Ho Chi Minh City. We are also pleased to be a strategic partner in assisting Vietnam to become an international financial centre as part of the Việt Nam-UK strategic partnership.

Many thanks to Sofia Rock of Ministry of Justice UK, Andrew Oldland QC of Michelmores, David Banks of Standard Chartered Bank, Michael Cole-Fontayn of The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (The CISI) and our members for joining us.