Month: January 2019

Acquire or Be Acquired: FinTech Lions and Lambs

Acquire or Be Acquired: FinTech Lions and Lambs

FinTech market disruption has led to a bifurcation of FinTech providers - Lions and Lambs. See our "Lions & Lambs" company list with commentary at the end of this note. The FinTech space - whether it be the Capital Markets flavor or the Payments variety - is undergoing rapid change. Within Capital Markets - alternative … Continue reading Acquire or Be Acquired: FinTech Lions and Lambs

We Expect Outsourcing Providers to Gain Traction with Insurance Carriers

We Expect Outsourcing Providers to Gain Traction with Insurance Carriers

Many insurers are hesitant to invest aggressively in AI & ML initiatives given that the ROIC is difficult to quantify. This conservatism combined with market disruption bodes well for technology & service providers that offer an Outsourcing option with a demonstrable ROI. Examples include Accenture, EXL Service, IBM Global Services and SS&C Technologies. Plus - … Continue reading We Expect Outsourcing Providers to Gain Traction with Insurance Carriers

Technology Buyers Would Do Well to Think Like Investors

Technology Buyers Would Do Well to Think Like Investors

When considering enterprise technology purchases – regardless of industry – corporate buyers would do well to think like investors. There are three legs to the technology evaluation stool: 1.) What is the technology provider’s value proposition? 2.) Who is the technology provider? (corporate buyers often pay insufficient attention here) 3.) What is the total cost … Continue reading Technology Buyers Would Do Well to Think Like Investors

JP Morgan vs. Fintech Threats<span class="badge-status" style="background:red">Premium</span> 

JP Morgan vs. Fintech ThreatsPremium 

JPM has the largest technology budget of any FI having invested approximately $11 billion in technology during 2018 with approximately $5 billion allocated toward new technology investments. This investment level is substantially larger than the new product development/ R&D investment levels of certain well known Fintech players. However, the numbers do not tell a complete … Continue reading JP Morgan vs. Fintech ThreatsPremium 

CEO – Executive Team – Board (“CEB”) Alignment<span class="badge-status" style="background:red">Premium</span> 

CEO – Executive Team – Board (“CEB”) AlignmentPremium 

CEO tenure is getting shorter and we believe a primary cause is less than optimal alignment between CEOs, Executive Team members and Corporate Boards. Alignment Scale Exercise On a scale of 1-10 (10 is best) where would you rate the level of alignment between yourself and your direct reports? Between yourself and your Board of Directors?You may … Continue reading CEO – Executive Team – Board (“CEB”) AlignmentPremium 

Fiserv & First Data: Acquire in the Absence of Innovation<span class="badge-status" style="background:red">Premium</span> 

Fiserv & First Data: Acquire in the Absence of InnovationPremium 

Today’s announcement that Fiserv plans to acquire First Data in a $22 billion all stock deal continues the string of payments-related deals. More importantly it stresses what many know – that the incumbent payment companies are not innovation factories. Acquire in the absence of innovation – although I believe all companies should have an active … Continue reading Fiserv & First Data: Acquire in the Absence of InnovationPremium 

Will Financial Institutions Learn to Stop Worrying and Embrace Technology?<span class="badge-status" style="background:red">Premium</span> 

Will Financial Institutions Learn to Stop Worrying and Embrace Technology?Premium 

Financial Institutions May Recover Lost Glory If They Aggressively Adopt Technology Fee Compression As Far As The Eye Can See Long gone are the days of white-collared shirts, suspenders and fat fees. The Financial Services industry is reducing headcount across the board. No pocket of the capital markets is immune. Investment Banks, Depository Institutions and … Continue reading Will Financial Institutions Learn to Stop Worrying and Embrace Technology?Premium 

CES Week: Device OEMs Should Not Underestimate Consumers’ Concerns Around Data Privacy and CyberSecurity.

CES Week: Device OEMs Should Not Underestimate Consumers’ Concerns Around Data Privacy and CyberSecurity.

Lots of cool new consumer devices will be on display at CES this week. Personally I enjoy video-related technology because if a picture is worth 1,000 words, how many words is a video worth? We’re working to incorporate more video content into our messaging this year. One message that I will be watching for coming … Continue reading CES Week: Device OEMs Should Not Underestimate Consumers’ Concerns Around Data Privacy and CyberSecurity.