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Digital transformation has been a hot topic for a while, and as we suddenly found ourselves facing a global pandemic, the need for digital transformation accelerated even more. However, the path from words to execution is long and cumbersome, and few digital transformation efforts fail to produce the expected outcomes. Why is that so, and what can we do about it?

A couple of weeks ago a former colleague and friend asked me for career advice, which got me reflecting on my own path to where I am today, and gave me the motivation to share some of my thoughts on how I managed to get ahead in the game of corporate snakes and ladders.

Embedded finance offers an tremedeous opportunity, as is shown in this in-depth analysis of the $7.2 Trillion embedded finance market opportunity, focused on the strategic importance for banks and insurers.

Almost four years ago, I decided to make a big change in my life as I accepted the role as CDO in Sbanken, including a weekly commute from Oslo to Bergen. It may be the worst-kept secret in the industry that I considered my missions in the bank as accomplished and decided to move on during the first quarter of this year, but as my last day in the bank is approaching, it is time to announce my departure.

In an age where digital distribution challenges every industry, companies should take their time to understand their position in the supplier/distributor relationship. Should you provide an unprecedented user experience and distribution platform, or should you develop content to those platforms? There is no definitive answer, and depending on your starting point, there are various recipes for success.

Regjeringen la forrige uke frem forslag til ny finansavtalelov, og selv om vi alle har god grunn til å applaudere det sterke forbrukervernet vi har i Norge, vekker forslaget om rettigheter og ansvarsbegrensninger ved bruk av digital signatur grunn til bekymring.

Out of every crisis, there will be opportunities. Where the current pandemic has acted as a black swan event in some cases, it accelerates several of the trends already pushing towards a digital future. In an age where incumbents already are facing a perfect storm of changes that challenge existing business models and processes, COVID-19 has proven to accelerate some of the trends that have been pushing this storm towards a reality.

No matter which industry you belong to, becoming data-driven is crucial in how you run your organization going forward. Although the use of data in everyday business is nothing new, becoming truly data-driven is imperative for success in a rapidly changing world. What does it take for an organization to move from assumptions and gut-feel to become truly data-driven?

The concept of central bank-issued digital currencies has been the talk of the town in the crypto- ad banking communities for a while, but as we are getting into the new decade, news of various central banks either researching or announcing that they will launch digital currencies that have exploded. What are the motivations behind this rise in popularity, what are the potential consequences and does national bank-issued digital currencies make sense in a borderless digital world?

By now, we’ve all heard the talks of mobile wallets becoming the one app to rule them all that eventually disintermediates banks from the customer relationship. However, reality has failed to meet expectations so far. Although mobile wallet adoption is slow, activities are picking up the pace, and the main players are not the incumbent banks.

Our friends at at the Factory has updated their excellent map of the Norwegian fintech landscape. From a moderate start only a few years ago, fintech has grown to a sizeable area in Norway.

Defining a strategy is easy. Transforming those slides and spreadsheets into action is the tricky part. Instead of presenting an endless barrage of charts, boxes, and figures, leaders should embrace storytelling as a tool to inspire and engage the organization.

Med ny teknologi og regulatoriske endringer går bank­ene fra å være en lukket silo til å bli en åpen plattform. Det er dette som kalles open banking. I denne artikkelen stilles det spørsmål om hva dette egentlig betyr for bankbransjen slik vi kjenner den, og hvilke muligheter dette representerer for både etablerte aktører og nystartede selskaper.

Mandag 2. desember inviterte Finansdepartementet utvalgte aktører i finansbransjen til å dele sitt syn på fintech for å gi sine innspill på hvordan norsk finansnæring også i fremtiden kan ligge langt fremme i den teknologiske utviklingen.

Challenger bank and for many fintech favorite Revolut announced last week that the company is set to raise additional $1,5 billion for its expansion into the US market. In terms of valuation, Revolut is aiming somewhere in the range of $5-10 billion. The big question is whether the company fundamentals and future expectations justiy this valuation, or is Revolut the Wework of fintech?

I have previously argued that leadership is the key ingredient for digital success, and even a born-digital company like Sbanken needs digital transformation in order to adapt to a new landscape for financial services. In order to embrace the change, we have defined a set of leadership principles as a code of conduct when navigating forward.

The financial industry has been standing at the precipice of this major shift. Some banks have taken the leap – innovative thinkers and leaders embracing the data revolution and using it to deliver amazing services. For those who’ve waited, now is your time – to take a leap, redefine how consumers manage their money and seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change banking for the better.