The Heart Tech

‘Innovation is the biggest drive for where we are going to be in 10 years’. In the digital world, especially in the financial sector, many corporations are seeing the value of investing in startups. Whether it’s to develop a technology, foster relationships with existing partners or to make a change for the greater good, Citi is at the forefront of a large number of innovation initiatives. But what challenges does a large corporation face working with startups? What are the benefits of competing but also cooperating? Ornit Shinar, head of External Innovation and Venture Investing with Citi in Israel tells us the role startups play in growing the Citi brand.

AI has changed our world. In doing so, it's started conversations related to human ethics and how we are going to respond to the increasing power of artificial intelligence. With its unique ability to see patterns and connect the dots, AI is an incredible tool. But we must understand its advantages and threats. Anna Topol from IBM takes us on a discussion dealing with the big questions of AI and human ethics. What are the biggest areas affected by AI? Is there a need to protect ourselves against AI? What will be the future of jobs and craftsmanship?

Most Revolut users, and digital consumers in general, are not fully aware of the cyber security tech protecting their money and data. Paul from Revolut discusses how the fintech has created rock-solid security that’s completely customisable for the user. Being entirely digital, Revolut is able to make changes to products and services at speeds that traditional financial institutions simply can’t. But what challenges does Revolut face in keeping their customer’s money safe in a heavily regulated industry? Paul Heffernan, Chief Information Security Officer for Revolut discusses the challenges of security and adapting new technologies in the fintech world.

Cash is still king in many places in the world. Mastercard has had a huge impact on this payments ecosystem, developing technologies enabling global commerce and financial services. Paul Graham, the Director of Mastercard Labs, talks about future opportunities in digitization of payments. The real challenge is not in adding new solutions but in unlearning old ones. What are the approaches to innovation within the Mastercard Labs and how this global giant keeps evolving? How to encourage your team to come up with new ideas and develop them during the design sprints? What are the measures of true success of innovation labs?

At the end of the day we are all in the business of getting results. The challenge of the leader is to help your team get those results in the most efficient way possible. Our conversation with Joel Nichols unpacked for us Agile and the way in which it is helping Merck obtain those results more effectively than ever before. As a process that has allowed Merck to better understand the needs of the customer and adjust in order to better hit their objectives, Agile is an incredible system that can help your team quickly “pivot” and readjust so you don’t waste time reaching an objective that is no longer relevant or creating a product the client no longers wants. How is Merck doing things different as a result and what has been some of the practical ways in which they have implemented agile? How does Agile compare to waterfall? What are the challenges for implementation and making Agile a part of your teams process?

For many people, blockchain is a buzzword they are still trying to understand. Others have become experts on this incredible new frontier. One of those experts is the IBM Blockchain Labs Director, Nitin Gaur, who also has a passion for educating others and an eagerness to share what he is learning on this episode of The Heart Tech podcast. In our conversation, Nitin tells us the keywords that best sum up blockchain, as well as his take on this global phenomenon, regulation, and some of the most interesting and surprising countries in which blockchain is developing around the world. What is the “art of the possible”? Are corporations able to make money on blockchain? How is blockchain affecting traditional forms of currency such as cash and bonds?

A 150-year history has given MetLife, not just incredible experience and an amazing legacy, but also the challenge of continually adapting to a world always changing. Our conversation with Françoise Lamotte, head of Digital and Innovation at MetLife, revealed her passion for innovative ideas, her pursuit of the discovery for new things and the inborn curiosity she has for the world around and connecting those things to shape the culture of a global company. With a focus on truly understanding the customer in order to innovate effectively, Françoise opens up about what inspires her, her commitment to change, and the incredible benefit of empowering other leaders. What are the three elements MetLife looks at as they approach their landscape? What keeps high-level leaders like Françoise up at night? How can you develop and grow faster by connecting with start-ups?

Saxo Bank is a Danish Fintech giant, specializing in online trading and investment. Spearheading the open banking trend, the company started offering its solutions in a “White Label” model to partners around the world already in 2001. This “banking as a service” strategy has been extremely successful and becomes one of the role models for partnerships between fintech players and established financial institutions. In our conversation, CEO and Founder of Saxo Bank, Kim Fournais shares lessons learned from his journey and looks ahead at the open banking evolution.

With a long history of working with new ventures and his experience in multiple dynamic corporations, we are excited to have Maciej Marszałek recently join the Heart team as CEO of The Heart Ventures. On this episode of The Heart Tech podcast, we dive into Maciej’s story and learn from his years of experience starting new ventures. What are the challenges that keep new ventures from taking off? How can The Heart Ventures help ensure the success of new ventures? And what advice does Maciej have for entrepreneurs and corporations starting out on new ventures?