One of our sponsors this year – Fiducia & GAD IT
The Corona pandemic still has us all in its grip and the infection figures are not yet falling to the extent that we can give the all-clear. This also means something for us and our event planning. Contrary to all our hopes to see each other live and in colour again in February, the second half of the Transactions will again take place exclusively remotely – in a really good TV studio in the Palais in Frankfurt.
Advantage: by now (almost) something like routine
But hey! By now have experience in it. After all, before Transactions 20 in November, the Banking Exchange had already been affected by the change in sign. So do we already have something like a routine in planning online-only conferences? Well, sort of and so preparations are already in full swing for the second half of TRX on 2/25/2021. Stress levels are rising!
So the Transactions 20½ starts in a few days. At #TRX20½, the forward-looking trends of the payment and banking industry will be discussed for one day, but also insights into the current developments and concepts of the industry will be given. The focus is not only on the people on stage: Above all, the guests are also given space to exchange ideas with each other and with experts and impulse providers from the industry. All this is in most cases never possible without the support of people who believe in the format.
For those who do, however, we’d like to give them the space to briefly introduce themselves and share why they think an event like Transactions is worth supporting. Therefore we invited Fiducia & GAD IT for an interview.
Who or what is Fiducia & GAD? What does your company stand for?
We are experts for all topics around banking and information technology. As the IT service provider of the cooperative FinanzGruppe, we offer IT solutions tailored specifically to banks: from data center operations and online banking processes to consulting on forward-looking innovations. As a digitization partner, our solutions enable banks and alliance partners to create new, future-proof offerings and implement innovative ideas in efficient business processes, business models and platforms. In short: We connect people and markets of tomorrow – simply, digitally and securely.
What does Fiducia & GAD have in common with Transactions?
Transactions brings together interesting minds from the fields of payment, banking and digitalization and provides new impetus for the future of the financial industry.
The topics of exchange and networking were hardly possible last year and this fact will probably continue into the summer of this year – how important are events like Transactions 20 for the industry nevertheless?
Very important, because the development continues. We have all learned by now that the exchange also works wonderfully digitally. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to the personal exchange again!
At Transactions 20, established players, fintech start-ups and players from related industries will once again be talking about the future of finance. What were the most important topics from the payment & banking world for you in 2020? What trending topics do you see in 2021?
From our perspective, the central topic last year was above all new branch concepts and, in this context, the expansion of the digital interface to the customer with exciting new offers – including those that go beyond banking. Keyword digital ecosystems, which will continue to occupy us this year. Data helps with this. Important trend topics this year: digital ecosystems, automation, AI and smart analytics.
Experience shows that you meet even fewer women in the industry than in other digital industries. How diverse are you at Fiducia & GAD and what is your position on the subject of quotas?
One of the things we rely on here is role models. Our six-member Management Board, for example, consists of two women and four men – which is actually still rather rare in our industry. In addition, the two board members are responsible for the more technology-driven topics of banking solutions and cloud solutions. We believe women bring valuable input and perspectives to all levels, which is why we are committed to sustainably anchoring diversity in the company.
How is your company coping with the current developments in the Corona crisis? Have you had any new lawsuits since then?
Our cooperation of working together and for each other in the cooperative FinanzGruppe has once again proven its worth in this phase. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Fiducia & GAD has focused primarily on providing banks with stable banking services as well as reliable and flexibly scalable VPN, video conferencing and telephone services.
Together with our colleagues at DZ BANK, we quickly made the funding available that is important for the economy. The same applies when setting the limit for contactless payment. Internally, the switch to predominantly digital working has worked very well. The right to mobile working was already enshrined in our collective agreement before the corona pandemic, and in future we will be relying on hybrid models with a great deal of freedom for our employees. However, we also notice that employees are looking forward to working in the office again after the long phase of the home office.
Fintech is developing rapidly and dynamically. What do you think has changed within the last year? What were the most important developments?
The most important development from our point of view is that we focus less on being against each other and more on being with each other. In any case, we are increasingly focusing on cooperations with fintechs, among others. In the end, both sides benefit from this: In many cases, the fintechs already have good solutions that do not need to be developed from scratch. And we have the interface to the customers and thus a huge treasure trove of data.
Looking back: From your perspective, what has been the biggest hype or disappointment in the scene over the past few years?
Hype and disappointment are sometimes close together. Keyword Wirecard…
To what extent can and do you want to help shape the banking industry with your company?
We want to help regional banks in particular to transport their advantages, namely their proximity to customers, into the digital world: with attractive and efficient banking solutions, but also with solutions that go beyond pure banking. Here again the keyword digital ecosystems.
What does innovation mean to you?
Innovation cannot be reduced to technical features, which in any case are increasingly becoming interchangeable assets. True innovation can be measured by whether a bank offers sustainable services that help it to generate new sources of business and revenue, on the one hand, and provide customers with a unique (banking) experience that guides them through their individual life situations, on the other.
“Innovation can’t be reduced to technical features, which are increasingly becoming interchangeable assets.”
What do you think is in store for the industry in 2021? Where does the industry need to go from here?
As a result of the Corona crisis, the need for advice increased in almost all banks. During the crisis, many customers experience that digital service is anything but impersonal. On the contrary: well thought out, the digital customer interface paves the way for highly individualized service offers with which banks can optimally accompany their customers via omnichannel in every situation in life.
Why would it be so great to work for you guys for a day?
Fiducia & GAD is a modern employer with an open culture of innovation. We have an agile structure, with independent teams working cross-functionally on their solutions and services. The spirit in the teams is very high. As a result, we have a corporate culture that is less hierarchy-driven and more self-reliant, that demands and promotes innovation, and that also strengthens the shared sense of unity. This is a fun place to work.
